Recently, the reigning champion of Vietnam’s League of Legends – GAM Esports, unexpectedly made a shocking announcement, allowing captain Levi to participate in the transfer market and negotiate with other teams, both domestically and internationally:
[OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT]
The Monday of the third week of November each year marks the end of the competitive year according to Riot Games’ rules. Accordingly, the contracts of players competing in Riot Games’ tournament system must end on this date (e.g.: Monday, November 15, 2021; Monday, November 21, 2022;….). The transfer market officially begins and will conclude before the next Spring Split tournament.
According to this information, November 15 is the end date of the competitive year 2021, and teams will begin their transfer activities until just before the VCS Spring Split 2022. However, due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the VCS Summer 2021 could not proceed as planned, and the tournament has been announced to take place in the fourth quarter of this year. Therefore, some teams will face transfer issues if they have players whose contracts end on November 15, with the time until the VCS Winter Split being very close, and GAM is no exception.
November 15, 2021, is the date Levi’s contract with GAM ends after two years of association. Levi has achieved 2 championships and 2 runner-up finishes with GAM, along with many tickets to the international stage. With all sincerity, GAM hopes for and is actively negotiating with Levi regarding contract renewal. During this time, GAM also respects Levi’s decision-making rights, so the team officially announces as follows:
– GAM AGREES TO ALLOW LEVI TO CONTACT OTHER TEAMS to have more options, thereby enabling him to make the best decision for himself.
We know that this announcement will confuse and worry GAM fans, but this is the right thing to do to aim for a fair and transparent transfer season while ensuring the rights of Levi and GAM. The management of GAM and NRG Asia will do everything possible to retain GAM’s captain and aim for a successful 2022.
According to statistical data, Levi’s contract with GAM Esports will expire in mid-November. However, according to the words of Director Khánh Hiệp, by allowing Levi to “hit the transfer market”, it also means that GAM is ready to release the contract early.
According to Izumin, Levi has revealed plans to part ways with GAM to seek new challenges since the middle of last year. However, allowing Levi to negotiate does not necessarily mean he will definitely leave GAM. In addition to seeking new challenges, Levi still has the option to continue with the black-and-gold team, as Director Izumin also confirmed that GAM is still looking for ways to retain Levi.
It can be seen that the VCS Summer 2021 somewhat influenced Levi’s decision. It is very likely that the VCS’s plan to organize the Winter tournament is a factor prompting GAM and Levi to consider making decisions about this player’s future earlier than the contract’s expiration date.