Who will be the next player to depart from one of the top teams in the LCS?
Although the 2022 League of Legends World Championship is just around the corner, the LoL offseason train has just left the station. Hans Sama departed from Team Liquid after just one season in what was meant to be a historic signing for the LCS.
In the past hour, Team Liquid officially announced on their League of Legends Twitter profile Hans Sama would be departing from the organization after just one year in North America.
Me and TL just parted ways a few days ago, we didn't have the greatest year. It's been a disappointment, the failure individually on my hand, and well, the team. I know that everyone wanted to win. But we didn't make it. So it kind of feels bad. I would have loved to have made Worlds and really proved something there.
The departure was rumored several days ago from Upcomer's Brieuc "LEC Wooloo" Seeger, who stated Hans had departed from the organization and now has his sights firmly locked on returning to Europe.
Significant investment but no return for Team Liquid
To put it short and sweet, Team Liquid's 2022 season was a failure. Although they have failed with other major signings in the past, this roster definitely hurt the most. TL let go of Jensen in the offseason only to see him win the Summer Championship, along with his eighth Worlds appearance in a row - Team Liquid failed to qualify for Worlds for the first time in the franchise era of the LCS.
On top of that, their superstar bot lane of Hans Sama and CoreJJ did not live up to the expectations - that being one of the best bot lanes the league has ever seen. When Hans came over from Rogue, there was no contention for who the best bot laner in the west was. Now, Hans has struggled to be the best in the league. Although there were glimpses of the superstar we saw in EU, it never amounted to much.
What is next for Team Liquid?
Recently, Team Liquid CEO Steve Arhancet confirmed there would be roster changes for the 2023 LCS season. TL is looking to move away from the 'superteam' philosophy and work closely with their development system. Liquid had the best academy side in North America in 2022 as they won both Proving Grounds tournaments.
Stay tuned to Esports.gg for the latest League of Legends news and updates.