This is the bombshell of the end of the offseason, Worlds 2019 champion, Kim “
Doinb” Tae-sang, is making his return as a professional player. After a two-year break following his stint with
LNG, the Korean midlaner is back in his beloved LPL league.
Although renowned for his mage and atypical champions such as Ryze, Nautilus and Malphite mid, Doinb became an assassin in 2025, joining
Ninjas in Pyjamas. This announcement follows numerous rumors and hints left by various parties. A few days ago, Doinb announced in a stream that he would be playing next season. Following this, NiP started following him on Weibo and even wished him a happy birthday. The rumours then got out of hand, and when the midlaner arrived in Shenzhen, it was even NiP toplaner Deng "
shanji" Zi-Jian who went to welcome his new midlaner. If the clues were there, it's now confirmed: the long-awaited return of Doinb is finally a reality.
The big question is how will he perform after a 2-year break? On paper, when you see how the game has evolved in competitive play, you might wonder about his future performance. But the reality is that it is Doinb. He hasn't let up since his departure from the LPL, he's been streaming a lot, grinded the ladder and even played some scrims. He's also always been known for his inventiveness and adaptability, which should be to his advantage. So it's not such a risky bet for the Ninjas.
As a reminder, it was Zhao "
neny" Zhi-Hao who was involved with the Chinese team for the Demacia Cup, and it remains to be seen what role he will take on for the rest of the season with the arrival of Doinb.
