KeSPA (Korea e-Sports Association) decided not to impose disciplinary sanctions on the CEO of T1 , Joe Marsh, following an investigation into his role in selecting the team roster for the 2025 season. After a thorough review, the Commission concluded that Marsh did not violate any current regulations.

How It All Started
The controversy erupted in February 2025 when T1 announced they would compete with a 5-player roster but later introduced a sixth player — Smash. This sparked a wave of criticism among fans. In response, CEO Joe Marsh stated on March 19 that the inclusion of Lee "Gumayusi" Min-hyeong in the starting lineup was made "after discussions with the coaching staff." The next day, he confirmed that it was the coaches who wanted to use the new player in the main lineup.

The case was referred to the KeSPA Sports Arbitration Commission to determine whether Marsh violated Article 31, Paragraph 1 of the rules — "abuse of power." The key issue was whether the CEO had the right to influence the choice of the starting lineup, a decision traditionally within the coaches' purview.

KeSPA's Conclusion
In its conclusion, the Commission noted that while there is a clear division between managerial and coaching duties in modern professional esports, final decisions are made within the organization itself. Meanwhile, neither LCK rules nor T1 's internal regulations provide clear guidelines on forming the starting lineup, making it difficult to assert a definite violation.

Moreover, Joe Marsh confirmed that the decision regarding the starting lineup was agreed upon with the coaching staff, who did not object. In the context of League of Legends, where a player's effectiveness cannot always be assessed by objective criteria, choosing between players like Gumayusi and Smash is primarily based on the team's internal evaluation rather than strict statistics.

Considering all the above factors, the KeSPA Commission concluded that Joe Marsh's actions did not violate any rules and did not warrant disciplinary action. The decision was made on June 19, 2025. Thus, T1 and their leader can continue their work without consequences from official bodies.

At the time of publication, T1 successfully qualified for MSI 2025, defeating the favorites Hanwha Life Esports with a score of 3:0 in the finals. MSI 2025 will take place from June 27 to July 12 in Vancouver, Canada. T1 will start the tournament in the playoff stage on July 2.