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T1 Issue Official Apology to Zeus After Transfer Mishandling
"We fully acknowledge our responsibility for the misunderstandings that resulted from our mishandling of the situation, and we deeply regret the confusion this caused for many people."
Choi "Zeus" Woo-je's transfer to Hanwha Life Esports at the start of the season sparked much controversy after T1 openly blamed the player's agency, The Play, for breaking up the team's back-to-back Worlds-winning roster.
Now, more than eight months after the transfer took place, T1's COO, Josh Ahn, has issued an official apology to Zeus and his family after admitting to "mishandling the situation."
T1 Apologize: What Went Wrong?
In the video, Josh Ahn disclosed that a meeting was held among himself, T1's General Manager Becker Jung, The Play's CEO, and a family representative of Zeus. After the meeting, Ahn claims, T1 left with a better understanding of the "pain and hardship that Zeus and his family have endured over the past several months."
"We have prepared this statement as a sincere expression of our apology, and out of a desire to ensure that Zeus and his family no longer have to suffer."
So, what went wrong exactly? Here's everything Josh Ahn admitted to during the video:
- T1 acknowledge that their initial offer made to The Play and Zeus was "less than respectful" to the player.
- T1 admit to sharing inaccurate information on that matter.
- Zeus had a desire to prioritize T1 during initial negotiations.
- T1's handling of situations after Zeus' transfer was "less than optimal".
- This caused misinformation to spread.
- T1 confirm that The Play did communicate to them that Hanwha Life Esports had presented them with a deadline during transfer negotiations.
- A misunderstanding on T1's part led to them being under the impression that there was no deadline.
- No tampering is suspected to have taken place while Zeus was under contract with T1.
- Most issues arose due to "a lack of careful internal communication".
An End to the Saga?
It seems hard to believe that more than half a year after Zeus' move to Hanwha Life Esports, the transfer continues to spark controversy. Perhaps that is exactly why, however, T1 have decided to come out with an official apology on the matter.
Hopefully, this will put an end to the discussion, allowing both Zeus and T1 to focus on their continuous pursuit of League of Legends greatness.
"After this video, we will formally bring our dispute with The Play to an end and wish each other well and success."
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Feature image credit: Liu YiCun/Riot Games
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