Jojopyun may be about to become the first LoL player to make a leap from NA to EU.
Canadian League of Legends player Joseph Joon "Jojopyun" Pyun is reportedly packing his bags for EU with rumors suggesting the 20-year-old mid-laner has verbally agreed to a deal with LEC team MAD Lions KOI.
The news comes just a month after the LCS wrapped its summer split, where Jojopyun and Cloud9 failed to qualify for this year's World Championships. If true, this is the first instance of a born-and-bred LCS talent making a move across the pond — and could trigger an exodus of talent from the struggling region.
Jojopyun departs C9 despite another year remaining on contract
According to the Oct. 18 report from Sheep Esports' Alejandro "Anonimotum" Gomis, Jojopyun has agreed to link up with MAD Lions KOI. Just last week, the LEC third seed bowed out of Worlds 2024 after losing to Vietnam's GAM Esports.
Shortly after the loss, the organization released mid-laner Bartłomiej “Fresskowy” Przewoźnik. All eyes were on who would replace the Polish star, but no one expected Jojopyun's name to pop up in discussions.
Should the move stick, it'll make the first time in professional LoL history that a North American player makes a switch to Europe's top flight. We've seen LEC talent head west in the past — the likes of Luka "Perkz" Perković, Jesper "Zven" Svenningsen, and Dennis "Svenskeren" Johnsen to name a few — but Jojopuyn's supposed move is unprecedented.
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Move comes ahead of LCS merger
It comes as the LCS downsizes after the 2024 season, officially merging with South American leagues CBLOL and LLA. Just six teams will keep their spots in the new dual conference LCS which sees players from both continents clash. As a result, it wouldn't surprise to see players from the region look abroad for opportunities to remain in professional LoL.
Jojopyun was signed with C9 through 2025; however, he disappeared from the team listing in Riot's Global Contract Database this week. According to LoL commentator and streamer IWDominate last month, his contract was terminated for "tardiness." Neither C9 nor Jojopyun have confirmed the reasons behind his departure from the team.
Jojopyun burst onto the scene with Evil Geniuses in 2021, helping see the squad to a title in the spring split in 2022 and a top-four finish at MSI. EG would only manage third in the summer and a group stage exit at Worlds, but the young Canadian mid-laner had caught the attention of fans worldwide.
While unable to replicate results, Jojopyun remained a threat in the server through the end of his EG era and after a move to Cloud9. However, he is yet to return to the international stage; C9 missed both MSI and Worlds this year after shock defeats to Liquid and 100 Thieves respectively.
MAD Lions KOI only just scraped through to the Worlds Play-In this year, finishing third in the LEC Season Finals. Wins over Vikings and PSG Talon locked the European squad in for the Swiss stage, but they departed Worlds without another win, exiting 0-3.
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