Invictus Gaming has officially announced the departure of jungler Zhao "JieJie" Li-Jie on their social media, bringing an expected end to his short-lived stint with the organization. JieJie joined earlier this year as part of IG’s ambitious super team project, one built around some of the LPL’s most seasoned names. But despite the hype, his time on the roster never extended beyond their third place in Split 2.

JieJie’s arrival had generated excitement, given his long tenure with EDward Gaming, where he lifted the Summoner’s Cup in 2021 and built a reputation as a reliable, composed jungler. With Invictus in 2025, however, his form never truly clicked. Split 1 saw moments of promise but also inconsistency in adapting to IG’s high-tempo style. They ended 7-8th, while Split 2 showed modest improvement, yet still left the team short of expectations, as they are aiming for international ambitions. The third-place finish still was not enough to qualify to the Mid Season Invitational and the Esports World Cup, the LPL was represented there by Anyone's Legend and Bilibili Gaming.

A journey coming to an early end

The shift came abruptly at the start of Split 3, when IG replaced JieJie with former RNG star Yan "Wei" Yang-Wei, who just came from BLG. It was a bold decision given that IG had just secured a top-three finish, a result that usually suggests consolidation rather than overhaul. Yet with Wei stepping into the starting role, the team’s form seemed to sharpen. Results began to validate the gamble as IG secured a series against Top Esports and Anyone's Legends.

The global announcement came as no surprise. Since Wei’s arrival, JieJie reportedly had no scrim time, was absent from the team’s venues on match days, and spent several weeks back in his hometown. For months, his departure was more of an open secret than a looming question. Now that IG has made it official, the only uncertainty that remains is where JieJie will head next—and whether another team will look to revive the career of a world champion jungler.