LoL - LCP: Maple comes out of retirement and joins PSG Talon for the third time

On Tuesday, PSG Talon announced the return of their midlaner Huang "Maple" Yi-Tang for the LCP Summer Split, following a mutual parting of ways with Chu "FoFo" Chun-Lan. Maple is coming out of retirement to rejoin PSG for the third time in his long career, having first joined in 2021, then again in 2024 before retiring after Worlds. Alongside his return, the organization also revealed the renewal of their partnership with Paris Saint-Germain, once again changing their name and logo.

2025 has been far from TALON’s best year. Between the First Stand and MSI, the team failed to qualify for any international event—an unusual setback for an organization that had long been a regular representative of its region on the global stage. In Split 1, they crumbled in the LCP Grand Final with a 3-1 loss to CTBC Flying Oyster, then finished third in the Spring Split, falling one best-of-five short of MSI after losing to GAM Esports in the Lower Bracket Final. In response, PSG Talon is turning to a familiar face—one with whom they won five out of five PCS splits played together, Maple.

Maple is now set to begin his 13th year as a professional League of Legends player—a remarkable career that began in 2013 with Gamania Bears, where he made his international debut at the Season 3 World Championship. His run ended in the quarterfinals at the hands of eventual world champions SKT T1, led by Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok. He later joined Flash Wolves and reached another Worlds quarterfinal in 2015, this time falling to Origen. Between 2016 and 2018, Maple played in three consecutive MSI semifinals and qualified for Worlds four years in a row.

In 2019, he moved to the LPL, playing for Suning and then LNG Esports, though without much success. He joined PSG Talon for the first time in 2021, winning both PCS splits, reaching the semifinals of MSI, and qualifying for Worlds. After a brief stint with Anyone’s Legend in the LPL, he moved to North America to play for TSM, but again failed to find meaningful results. In Summer 2023, Maple returned to PSG Talon for a second time, winning three consecutive splits through to the most recent Summer Split. Following Worlds, he announced his retirement—only to reverse course and return once more for the upcoming Summer Split.

Of the four players Maple is set to join, he has already played with all of them. Huang "Azhi" Shang-Jhih was most recently his teammate at PSG, and he’ll reunite with Hung "Karsa" Hao-Hsuan, with whom he spent three years at Flash Wolves. Lu "Betty" Yu-Hung also played alongside them at Flash Wolves, in the LPL during the 2022 Spring Split with Anyone’s Legend, and again at PSG Talon in 2024. Lastly, Lin "Woody" Yu-En was part of Maple’s most recent stint with PSG.