Most fans only see the final product, five players who walk on stage under the legendary
banner. But behind every LCK roster spot is a pipeline most organizations don't talk about, and no one runs it quite like T1.
T1 operates one of the best three-tier developmental systems in Korean esports. At the bottom, scouted teenagers join as trainees on the Rookies roster, sharing positions and competing internally for spots. The ones who survive get promoted to the Challengers League roster, where they split stage time, scrim against pro-level teams, and learn to turn solo queue mechanics into team play. And from there, the rarest few get called up to the main LCK squad.
It's the system
came through before becoming one of the best toplaners in the world. And right now, it's producing someone new.
T1 LCK trainees system & current rankings
Author's note:
Until 2023, a former T1 Rookies coach told me trainees at the lowest tier would practice under placeholder tags like "MID Test" or "TOP Test 2", nameless until they earned their identity within the org. The practice has since been discontinued, but it speaks to the culture T1 built around their development system: nothing was given, everything was earned.
Tae-hyo "Guardian" Seong didn't take the usual path in. His route to T1 was a detour, one that almost never happened.
"He was originally planning to go to a team overseas, but some administrative issues came up, so he ended up joining T1's third team instead,” Park Jinsu, Guardian's agent, explained “He performed well there, won the Academy series, and got called up to the Challengers roster." What looked like a setback turned out to be the start of something. While currently being a substite for the T1 LCK CL roster, he climbed to Rank 1 on the Korean solo queue ladder, passing pros from both the LCK and LPL on his way up.
Sheep Esports sat down with him to find out what the view looks like from inside the factory.
For international fans who might be getting to know you for the first time, could you give us a quick introduction?
Tae-hyo “Guardian“ Seong: “Hey, everyone. I'm Seong Tae-hyo, "Guardian", I play toplane for T1 Esports Academy in the LCK Challengers League. I've been with T1 since the third-team days, and right now I've been called up to the CL roster.
T1 Guardian climbs to rank 1 in Korea at 2472LP.
You recently hit Rank 1 on the Korean solo queue ladder, climbing past some of the top players from both the LCK and LPL. What does that achievement mean to you, and how do you stay so consistent?
Guardian: Solo queue Rank 1 is something a lot of players never reach, so even though I haven't had many chances to play on the official stage yet, I think it was meaningful because I was able to prove my ability through solo queue. As for staying consistent, I think the key is treating every solo queue game the way you'd treat a competitive match. Just never losing focus and giving it your all every game.
Specifically from a toplaner's perspective, is there anyone in solo queue who's stood out to you or given you a really tough time?
Guardian: PerfecT (
Lee Seung-min) from
. He's really, really strong in lane, he was the hardest and most impressive opponent I've faced.
T1 has produced world-class toplaners like Jang "MaRin" Gyeong-hwan and Zeus. Who's been your role model as you've developed, and what kind of player do you want to become?
Guardian: My role model is Zeus, who also played for T1. He’s the player whose in-game play I study the most. He's at
now, but I still reference him a lot. Going forward, I want to be someone who has a positive impact on the team both in and out of the game, the kind of player that fans and the organization remember fondly, even after time passes.
With your recent solo queue growth and your development as a trainee, what aspect of being part of T1 has helped you the most?
Guardian: First of all, T1 provides a great environment, both for living and for practice, so I can just focus on the game without worrying about anything else. And being surrounded by so many talented players means I can easily share ideas and talk things through with them. That's been a huge help.
You're currently sharing spots in CL with Sim "Haetae" Su-hyeon. What's your role within the team, and how do you and the other players exchange feedback?
Guardian: Heatae and I do a lot of 1v1 matchup practice together, and after scrims or matches, we go over in-game feedback and share our thoughts with each other. We're really helping each other improve. On top of that, I share useful stuff with the other players too; whether or not I'm the one playing that day, we all try to help each other out wherever we can.
T1A Haetae @ T1 Homeground
What's the biggest area of growth you've noticed in yourself, comparing before and after joining T1's academy?
Guardian: Working with our coaches has really broadened the way I see the game. And a lot of the bad habits I had in the laning phase, I've been able to fix those with their help.
If you ever get the chance to compete internationally, is there a player you'd want to team up with and a player you'd want to go head-to-head against?
Guardian: I'd love to play alongside
, I respect him so much, both in-game and as a person. And for an opponent, I'd want to face my role model Zeus in a toplane matchup.
Players like Zeus have Jayce, Doran has Ambessa, everyone has their signature pick. What's yours, and why?
Guardian: I'd say I'm confident on pretty much any champion, but among carry-style picks, Gwen is my strongest. She's been a champion I've had great results on since my amateur days, so I have a lot of confidence on her. For tanks, I like Sion and K'Sante, I think my strengths are in turning around losing lanes and making plays in teamfights that help the team.
We hear you've been studying English. To wrap things up, could you give a short message in English for fans watching from outside Korea?
Guardian: Hello, thank you so much to all the fans who support me. I'll do my best to show even better performances in the future. Hopefully, I'll also have the chance to show great performances to fans in Europe someday.“
(Untranslated message from Guardian)
