As teams prepare to make their return to competition this week, the offseason period finally comes to a close. Before definitively turning the page, it is time to look back one last time at the past three months and everything that unfolded.
Numerous roster changes have shaken the transfer market, startled
League of Legends fans, and sparked countless reactions.
Sheep Esports has selected the ten most significant moves to remember from this offseason.
1. Peyz to T1
Undoubtedly the biggest bombshell of the offseason. As triple world champion AD Carry Lee "
Gumayusi" Min-hyung left
T1,
the Korean organization announced the arrival of Kim "Peyz" Su-hwan to replace him. After a stint in China with JD Gaming, the former Gen.G rising star returns to Korea with the heavy task of succeeding Gumayusi, while also being signed through 2028. With a victory at the
KeSPA Cup, it did not take long for him to once again display the talent he had already shown during his first stint with
Gen.G Esports.
2. Gumayusi to Hanwha Life Esports
One arrives as the other departs. After securing three Worlds titles and claiming the Finals MVP last year,
Gumayusi has decided to seek new horizons and joins Hanwha Life Esports. Reuniting with his former T1 teammate Choi "
Zeus" Woo-je and surrounded by a newly assembled “superteam,” he will attempt to challenge Gen.G’s dominance in the LCK and T1’s supremacy on the Worlds stage.
3. Kanavi to Hanwha Life Esports
Hanwha Life Esports’ second addition,
jungler Seo "Kanavi" Jin-hyeok joins the LCK for the first time in his career. Having spent his entire professional journey in the
LPL, he finally returns to his home region, replacing the recently retired Han "
Peanut" Wang-ho and aiming to help HLE maintain its place among the league’s elite.
4. Viper to Bilibili Gaming
Park "
Viper" Do-hyeon makes the opposite journey,
leaving HLE to return to the LPL with Bilibili Gaming. The Chinese league strengthens itself with the arrival of one of the best AD Carries in the world. After winning both the league and Worlds in 2021 with
Edward Gaming, Viper now replaces Zhao "
Elk" Jiahao following BLG’s disappointing Worlds campaign.
5. Inspired to LYON
The transfer that surprised most people in the
LCS is Kacper "
Inspired" Słoma’s move. The Polish jungler, named LTA Region Player of the Year last season, leaves
FlyQuest after a failed Worlds run and
joins LYON for next season. The Mexican organization has high ambitions and has made the region’s best player the cornerstone of its project.
6. hongQ to JD Gaming
After a remarkable rookie year in the
LCP with
CTBC Flying Oyster,
Tsai "hongQ " Ming-hong joins JD Gaming. Alongside his former CFO jungler Yu "
JunJia" Chun-chia, the young Taiwanese midlaner will attempt to help JDG return to Worlds, a tournament the organization has not attended since its historic 2023 season.
7. GALA to JD Gaming
In their attempt to completely rebuild,
JD Gaming have also recruited one of the best Chinese AD Carries available: Chen "GALA" Wei Chen "GALA" Wei After another year demonstrating his talent with Invictus Gaming, GALA joins a new LPL team where he reunites with his former coach Wong "
Tabe" Pak Kan, with whom he previously won multiple titles at
Royal Never Give Up.
8. Busio to Karmine Corp
The multi-titled North American support leaves FlyQuest to
join Karmine Corp in the LEC. After steadily establishing himself as one of the best supports in the world, Alan "
Busio" Cwalina ended his FlyQuest journey on a more disappointing note at Worlds. Like Inspired, he decided it was time for change. Despite offers from some of the strongest LCS teams, he ultimately chose the French organization.
9. Quid to Team Liquid
Lim "
Quid" Hyeon-seung was set to leave
100 Thieves at the end of the season as the roster disbanded. The young Korean midlaner was one of the first major Western dominoes of the offseason, attracting interest from several LEC and LCS teams.
He eventually chose Team Liquid, replacing Eain "
APA" Stearns, who moved to
Cloud9. After missing Worlds this year, Team Liquid can reasonably hope for a better outcome with such a reinforcement in its lineup.
10. Zinie to Shopify Rebellion
One of the most promising prospects from the
LCK Challengers League finally steps into tier one competition, joining Shopify Rebellion in the LCS. After narrowly missing Worlds qualification last season, the team now appears to have taken a new step forward with such a signing, as all eyes will turn toward Yoo "
Zinie" Baek-jin to see if the Korean midlaner can rise to the level of the world’s best.
Another significant transfer of the offseason was the move of KT Rolster’s botlane, Seo "deokdam" Dae-gil and Jeong "Peter" Yoon-su, to DN SOOPers. However, the Sheep Esports editorial team considered that this transfer stood out mainly because two Worlds finalists joined the same team together, whereas this ranking focuses on standout transfers on an individual player basis.
Other honorable mentions
- Peng "XUN" Lixun to Bilibili Gaming (LPL)
- Lee "Scout" Ye-chan to Nongshim Redforce (LCK)
- Sin "Smash" Guem-jae to Dplus KIA (LCK)
- Zhao "Elk" Jiahao to Weibo Gaming (LPL)
- Kang "kyeahoo" Yea-hoo to Karmine Corp (LEC)
- Ling "Kaiwing" Kai-wing to Vivo Keyd Stars (CBLOL)
- Mihael "Mikyx" Mehle to SK Gaming (LEC)