Former World Champion in Unemployment
At the beginning of 2025, Invictus Gaming surprisingly announced a roster that included the players who led IG to glory in 2018, along with other renowned names in the Chinese League of Legends scene such as JieJie, GALA, and Meiko, which excited many fans. In fact, many LPL viewers believed this lineup could compete for international titles like MSI or Worlds. However, IG has faced significant ups and downs since then and has only recently begun to regain some trust.
Recently, former World Champion JieJie was officially announced to be leaving IG even though the season is not yet over and the 2018 World Champion still has opportunities to compete for titles and a spot at Worlds. JieJie himself later announced that he would be leaving the team indefinitely, while also sending well wishes to his former teammates.
However, many LPL fans are not accepting this situation and there are numerous criticisms directed at IG for their “lack of commitment.” According to some arguments, JieJie was the most stable player for IG in the early part of the year, but now when he has found stability, he must leave the team. Yet, some suggest that JieJie may be in a mental state that is not stable, as he has not played for a long time. Furthermore, the departure was amicable and the situation does not warrant controversy.
Perhaps the former World Champion JieJie is more satisfied with this decision
In the early stages of the season, Meiko showed the difficulties he faced while having to shoulder too many responsibilities in a match. Since Wei’s arrival, Meiko’s responsibilities have been somewhat alleviated. Moreover, Wei has demonstrated good stability in the early game as well as during team fights. In this aspect, he clearly outshines JieJie.
More importantly, JieJie may not want to play a rotational role like some other teams have been doing. Therefore, this mid-season departure may have been the best choice for all parties involved.