TES 369 breaks toplaners’ market in China
The departure of 369 from JD Gaming has caused a radical shift on toplaners’ market on China.
Even though the toplane of Top Esports seemed closed with the addition of OMG Shanji, a last-minute move has been crucial in changing the course of the market.
And it turns out that last night, the CEO of JDG announced himself in a fan group that 369, the toplaner they had been working with since 2022, was leaving the organization.
The message stated: «He doesn’t need to say it. I will. Thanks to all the 369 fans for the support over the past 2 years.» Later, he concluded: «It’s not a matter of money why he’s not extending his contract. It’s beyond our control, I hope you understand«.
And as if that wasn’t enough, not only did he independently announce the player’s departure, but he also hinted at his incorporation into Top Esports: «He has improved his form and is coming back (TES meme). He has already signed, let’s wish him the best. It’s not about money.» As the icing on the cake, 369 himself ended up writing in the group: «Don’t be afraid, brothers. JDG urged me to stay. It’s not about money, it’s about 2021. I feel bad for my teammates. I will definitely give my all next year, so don’t worry.» The player has made it clear here that the motive for his farewell from the team with which he has won practically everything this year is a matter of remorse: he wants to return in his best form to TES, the team he left on bad terms and was harshly criticized for.
The return of 369 to TES, the organization he competed with from 2019 to 2021 and in whose academy he rose to the first division, has triggered a rupture of many verbal agreements that were about to be finalized with the league’s toplaners.
Among them, the most affected is OMG Shanji, with whom Top Esports had already been in close contact along with Creme and part of the coaching staff of Oh My God. If the signing of 369 is indeed closed, Shanji would have to explore other possibilities in the market, and there aren’t many appealing options left. The one that seems to be most talked about is Anyone’s Legend, which today announced the departure of a significant part of its lineup and appears to be looking to rebuild its team to make a step up.
On the other hand, JD Gaming is also lacking a toplaner. Another player who has been pursued by many clubs during the offseason is RNG Breathe, who doesn’t seem to extend his contract with Royal, among other things, due to the club’s budget constraints. JDG seems to have shown interest in his profile, which is undoubtedly among the best below Tier S toplaners, and this could be the natural flow of things in the LPL toplane. Another option for JD Gaming is to promote redwall from Joy Dream (their academy team), a young talent they have been developing since 2021 in LDL, either as the main starter or to share his position with Breathe.
The vacancy left by Breathe in Royal Never Give Up could be filled by WE Cube. As I’ve mentioned before, RNG’s lineups aim to be exclusively Chinese, and this change would make sense. Cube could be considered Tier A-/B in the league and fits with what Royal is looking for, although the club doesn’t seem to have come out as winners by any means this preseason.
The only players who seem completely secure in their positions are WBG TheShy, who hinted at his continued presence in the competitive scene after prolonged doubts about his retirement, and LNG Zika. Regarding the former, the «Supergent» agency talked in a livestream about his alleged renewal with Weibo Gaming. As for the latter, Hanyi himself also confirmed on his personal channel that Zika would continue with Li-Ning.
There’s still a lot of preseason left, and movements can continue to take dramatic turns in the storyline, so we’ll continue to wait for official announcements despite the significant hints along the way.
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