It’s mid-season in the LCS Spring 2026 split, and as the 8 teams gear up for playoffs, a huge mixup is set to occur in the league’s toplane. According to Sheep Esports sources, defending LCS champion team LYON have bought out toplaner Cho “Castle” Hyeon-seong for their LCS roster. He will be competing with Niship "Dhokla" Doshi for the starting spot as a toplaner.
Finally a top team for Castle?
Castle is a Korean toplaner who’s spent several years in the LCS as a standout top, despite playing on otherwise struggling rosters. He’s currently on Disguised, leaving a hole in that roster, which will now be filled by Jett Michael “Srtty” Joye, a hyped player who poorly debuted in the LCS last year. With Castle now in his spot on LYON, and the previously-teamless Srtty now on Disguised, Dhokla’s spot with LYON is now put into question.
The decision to bring in a new toplaner, despite winning the previous split, also ties into a crucial roster development behind the scenes. AD Carry Kim “Berserker” Min-cheol secured his green card during Split 1, freeing up an import slot for LYON. This administrative shift opened the door for the organization to sign Castle, who now joins Midlaner Kang “Saint” Sung-in as the team’s two import players.
From a competitive standpoint, the move may also reflect LYON’s underwhelming showing in the EWC 2026 qualifiers. The team was eliminated after upset losses to FlyQuest and Team Liquid, raising questions despite their domestic success. Castle’s former team, Disguised, struggled even more during the event, but the Korean toplaner remains highly regarded by both the community and fellow professionals.
What about Dhokla?
Dhokla’s arrival on LYON was largely circumstantial, as he joined the roster as a late replacement for intended starter Frankie “Zamudo” Lin, who encountered recurring visa issues ahead of the previous split. While Dhokla remains under contract and is expected to compete with Castle for the starting role, LYON’s decision to make this change suggests the organization was not fully satisfied with its toplane situation. Per sources, Castle is expected to start in official games for now.
Meanwhile, Srtty joins Disguised following a standout 2024 in Tier 2, where he won both NACL and CLOL and reached Rank 1 in solo queue. His transition to the LCS in 2025 proved more difficult. After a challenging stint on Dignitas, widely considered a difficult environment for individual performance, he was replaced early and later joined LYON as another stopgap solution amid Zamudo’s visa complications. Though he delivered solid performances, he did not secure a position for the 2026 season.
Now returning to the league with Disguised, Srtty gets another opportunity to establish himself, while Castle steps into a LYON roster with significant potential, offering him a strong platform to prove his value at the highest level.
