Once a world champion, EDward Gaming (EDG) faced numerous personnel challenges during the 2023 season. Notably, a series of key players such as Scout, Viper, and Flandre left the team during the early season transfer window. Subsequently, ADC Leave encountered personal issues and could not continue to compete, forcing EDG to rely on Uzi as a “stopgap” solution.
The unfavorable personnel developments mentioned above resulted in 2023 being an unsuccessful season for EDG. Once a championship contender, they were repeatedly eliminated early in the LPL qualifiers (both Spring and Summer). Most recently, the team suffered a painful defeat against Weibo Gaming (WBG) and lost their ticket to the 2023 World Championship (Worlds).
Clearly, for a historically rich organization like EDG, the results above are difficult to accept. Thus, a series of “blockbuster” players have been included in their transfer plans. According to former manager Lao Yue, the mid-lane position is the most in need of replacement, despite FoFo being a very hardworking player. The target to replace FoFo is Knight, as EDG is willing to offer a very high salary for this player.
Furthermore, Lao Yue also disclosed that EDG aims to upgrade their ADC position for the upcoming season. With Uzi recently confirming that he is unlikely to compete next season, this move from EDG is understandable. The names targeted by the team include Viper and JackeyLove. If both players do not agree, EDG will look for a Korean ADC.
Of course, the names mentioned above are only on EDG’s transfer list. Actually bringing these players to the team is not an easy task at all. For example, in the cases of Knight and JackeyLove, if JD Gaming and Top Esports perform well in the upcoming Worlds, it will be very difficult for them to leave their teams and join EDG.
Nonetheless, the list of these “blockbusters” also indicates that EDG is very determined to make a strong comeback in the 2024 season. Hopefully, this team can acquire the “ideal” players to quickly restore the image of a strong EDG from previous years.