A few days ago, DWG KIA officially announced the return of Nuguri. This is a necessary addition for DK, at least at this moment, to prepare for the LCK Summer 2022. In Spring 2022, DK’s top lane was not of high quality compared to other names like Zeus (T1), Kiin (Kwangdong Freecs), or Rascal (KT Rolster).
As one of the top-quality toplaners in the League of Legends scene, Nuguri’s absence throughout the recent Spring Split was unfortunate. Especially when the LCK is experiencing a shortage of quality toplaners, meeting the demands for both skill and experience. While Zeus has performed quite well, he is still just a young player, having only his first season of being a starter and lacking international experience.
In an interview during his return to DK, Nuguri received quite a few questions regarding his time playing for FunPlus Phoenix. The former FPX star stated that he was too hasty in moving to China when he still lacked much experience and skill. However, Nuguri also asserted that he has never regretted moving to China to compete.
Notably, speaking about the results that Nuguri and FPX achieved in the brief 2021 season when “Niu Bao” was competing, the player also stated: “I thought that as long as I played well, I could carry the team and FPX could win. But I did not perform well. I felt like I was declining day by day. Sometimes, I played like a blind person. My teammates did not deserve to be eliminated early at Worlds.”
It can be said that in this return, the world of League of Legends has changed significantly compared to the end of the 2021 season. With the return to his “old home,” as DK is no longer the dominant force and T1 is becoming a perfect team day by day, Nuguri is facing great challenges. If he performs well and helps DK “take revenge” against T1 and brings back a title, he will regain everything he has lost. On the contrary, the scenario of the previous season may repeat itself, and at that point, the pressure will weigh heavily on the former Worlds champion of 2020.