Although it's common to tease them on the internet about it, the LCS remains one of League of Legends' most tense competitions. Despite results on the international scene generally below those of Chinese, Korean and European teams, the American championship has often given birth to teams capable of worrying the most seasoned teams, but also some great players. North America's newest nugget may be called Jojopyun, and his story is not trivial.
From Fornite to Summoner's Rift
Its competitive history begins three years ago. The Canadian player began his career as a professional player on the Epic Games game, before ending on the Riot Games title. At only 14 years old, Joseph Joon Pyun decided to start online competition on his heart title. The results follow and are even encouraging. The young player wins a few minor tournaments while standing out in some official competitions. Although he has never signed with a professional team, he was in that category that teams watch to see if his performances were down to luck, or if this young player deserved further attention. Only, the game eventually bores Jojopyun, who then heads for the Summoner's Rift.
He does not choose the simplest position, passing directly to the midlane. However, the choice is not so trivial. Just like in Fortnite, it's a role that today requires you to be very active on the map, like the jungler and the support. Even if there are farming phases, they generally remain shorter than those of a toplaner or an ADC. Combining his talent and his thirst for learning, the prodigy was quickly noticed by a prestigious organization: Evil Geniuses. It is with them that he will sign his first professional contract, and will move in less than a year, from the academy team to the first team.
From the shadow to the light
On January 21, 2021, Jojopyun made his official League of Legends competitive stage debut with the Evil Geniuses Academy. On January 16, 2022, the Canadian played his first game on the LCS stage for the Lock-In. This Spring Split 2022 was therefore his very first participation in a competition at the highest level on the Riot Games game. His statistics for the entire regular season clearly show this neophyte status. Jojopyun is systematically in the soft underbelly of the ranking, whatever the chosen stat. Nevertheless, if it does not shine on a particular point, it is not bad anywhere.
This will also be confirmed during these playoffs. Once again, the EG midlaner is not necessarily far from the best, but does not shine to the point of being able to sit down at their table. The road still seems long for him, but he will have the opportunity to make up for some of his delay on the veterans of the North American scene, by gaining experience during MSI 2022. If he is not sure see being opposed to the Chinese and Korean teams, the groups will put it to a minimum against Caps.