Recently, on the birthday of his former teammate who stood side by side with him at Griffin – Tarzan, Chovy recorded a short video message to send to his friend far away. However, the highlight of the clip lies in Chovy’s intriguing message – A statement that makes viewers feel like he is hinting at part of his future plans.
Specifically, alongside warm wishes, Chovy also conveyed a message to Tarzan that: “This year I can only send you a video to celebrate, next year I will meet you in person to wish you a happy birthday.”
In the context of the mid-laner from Hanwha Life Esports being the hottest name in the League of Legends transfer market this late in the year, the “Conans of the online world” certainly won’t miss the chance to eavesdrop on any information about this guy. And his message must have had many LPL fans feeling quite excited.
Chovy will meet Tarzan in person on the latter’s birthday next year, meaning both must compete in the same tournament, in the same region. The possibility of “Tarzan returning to Korea for a break after the tournament” can be ruled out since his birthday falls on August 23 – a time when the annual LPL still has matches, and even if Tarzan were to be eliminated early in the LPL Summer 2022, he would still have to wait until the end of the season, as teams typically don’t allow players to leave until their break.
Therefore, the only possibility is that Chovy is preparing to move to the LPL, or Tarzan is returning to the LCK. The second scenario seems unlikely, as Tarzan has signed a long-term contract with LNG Esports until 2023, and he has no reason to leave, especially when he is enjoying a stellar season with this team and has a great chance in the race for a Worlds spot.
Meanwhile, a series of recent reports have indicated that Chovy’s departure from Hanwha Life Esports is almost certain. Even Teddy and Ruler have “accidentally” hinted that Chovy will “compete for the title of the number one mid-laner in Chinese League of Legends” in a recent ranked match.
It seems that Chovy’s departure from HLE to play in the LPL is only a matter of time. The question now is where he will choose to go next? Some sources from China and Korea have previously confirmed that Invictus Gaming is the team most eager to acquire Chovy. However, recently, with the financial difficulties of this team being revealed, it seems that the IG-Chovy deal may be hard to realize.
On the contrary, LNG Esports is the latest name listed as a rumored destination for Chovy. It’s true that Icon has had an outstanding performance in the LPL Summer 2021, but LNG Esports’ 0-3 loss to FunPlus Phoenix showed that this team still needs to upgrade their roster if they want to nurture ambitions of becoming champions in China in the future. Thus, with one foreign player slot still available, Chovy is the perfect candidate, not to mention the synergy between Tarzan and Chovy when they both played for Griffin is undeniable.