LoL: Kanavi joins Top Esports in the LPL

Seo "Kanavi" Jin-hyeok's departure from JD Gaming was widely anticipated, and now we know his next destination. As announced by the organization on its social media, Kanavi joins Top Esports in the LPL for the 2025 season. He will take over the position previously held by Gao "Tian" Tian-Liang, who is set to join Weibo Gaming during this offseason.

Starting his career amidst the tumultuous drama surrounding Griffin in 2019, Kanavi arrived mid-year on loan at JDG, unaware that the Summer Split would mark the beginning of a long journey with the organization. Despite arriving under disastrous circumstances and facing a legal battle against Griffin over a highly questionable contract, he went on to win the LPL Spring Split in 2020. This triumph transformed him from a complete underdog into the reigning LPL champion in just a few months, earning him a spot at the Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) that same year.

Over nearly five and a half years with JDG, Kanavi became the face of the organization, alongside Zeng "Yagao" Qi, who stayed for nearly six years. As he departs the club, Kanavi leaves behind an impressive legacy, having secured four LPL titles (Spring 2020, Summer 2022, and both Spring and Summer 2023), as well as the MSI title in 2023, where he and his teammates came very close to achieving the Golden Road. Additionally, he earned a gold medal at the 2022 Asian Games as part of the South Korean team, making him an Olympic champion.

After securing Liu "Crisp" Qing-Song and Bai "369" Jia-Hao, Top Esports have locked in a third player. Once again, the organization’s project looks incredibly promising on paper, showcasing a lineup with phenomenal potential. Together, they will aim to surpass this year’s results, where the team consistently finished on the podium: second in the Spring Split and third in the Summer Split. Despite being regarded as the second-best team in the LPL, they struggled to compete with Bilibili Gaming all year long. Their international performance also fell short—they were eliminated by G2 in the MSI lower bracket and crushed by T1 in the Worlds quarterfinals. With these three players now in place, it’s clear that Top Esports is looking to erase the sting of their international setbacks and aim for redemption on the global stage.