In professional League of Legends and Esports in general, just like in any sport, if there are no achievements or significant investments, it is entirely normal for a team that once stood at the pinnacle of glory to decline. In the past, particularly in League of Legends, there have been many teams that were incredibly powerful, some even crowned champions of Worlds, but for various reasons, they have not been able to regain their glory and have even disappeared from the global League of Legends scene. However, one name that was once a pride and representative of an entire region has seen a rapid decline in just a few short years, leaving the community stunned: Royal Never Give Up.
Recently, the “Royal Legion” of LPL announced their roster in preparation for the match against Ultra Prime. Notably, a series of positions in RNG have been changed, with Iwandy (Support) now moving to the Jungle role, while Tanguyan, who was the Mid Laner, has been shifted to Support. Only Huanfeng, Xzz, and Juice are playing in their correct positions. It’s worth mentioning that Iwandy’s Jungle position previously belonged to Geju. However, Geju, who had only joined RNG for about half a month, received a hefty fine of 50,000 CNY (approximately nearly 175 million VND) for provocative remarks directed at the tournament’s commentators for not being selected as the MVP.
However, this forced reshuffle also highlights an issue: RNG is losing its appeal to attract quality players. Both Geju and Iwandy only joined RNG at the beginning of July and neither is particularly renowned. Juice in the Top Lane and Xzz in the Mid Lane have been promoted from the academy team and youth squad. The only quality name currently in RNG may be Huanfeng, and the former Worlds runner-up often stands out as the best-performing player in the Royal Legion’s lineup.
The current state of RNG is a sad situation for a team that has been and still is the “king of MSI” with the most championships in this tournament. However, it seems that soon, RNG will become a former king, especially when they seem to have no way to return to their peak period amid the upper management issues this team is facing.