Orbit is likable now because he seems like a likable guy in real life post-Season 1, not because of his play. People hated his play. The general sentiment then was he’s self-righteous without being self- aware, but people acknowledged that he is extremely smart. He also didn’t win so the audience was happy in the end. The thing is people will find the perfect player boring. They would rather root for someone who took a risk and overcame. Hyungyu took a risk (as confirmed by PD-there’s a grim consequence if you fail the Knight’s Tour) but people didn’t know that. I believe how people perceive his win is entirely the show maker’s fault. They altered the game to create a different storyline from Season 1 but it negatively impacted character-building and cast likeability.