To put it bluntly, the scandal between Griffin and coach cvMax has completely destroyed a highly talented roster that could be considered the future of the LCK, featuring stars like Viper, Chovy, Lehends, and Tarzan. The results are well-known; Chovy and substitute Doran moved to DragonX, Lehends joined Hanhwa Life Esports, and Griffin has declined to the point where they couldn’t even maintain their rank in the spring split.
With such a poor performance, it is hard to believe that Griffin could retain its key players, and last night, that concern became a reality as the team continued to part ways with its players. Specifically, Ucal, Untara, and notably Viper were informed by Griffin that their contracts would be terminated. Overall, these are not bad players, so it’s likely they will find new teams soon, and there are even rumors that Viper will reunite with Lehends at the upcoming HLE team.
With this announcement, the two remaining notable names in Griffin are Tarzan and Sword. The future of these two players, especially Tarzan, remains uncertain, with many rumors surrounding this talented jungler suggesting he will soon move to the LPL. If this is true, it would be a good opportunity for Tarzan, as the LPL seems to be a much more competitive environment compared to staying with Griffin.
As for Sword, the “black hole” of Griffin only serves to make him even more disliked; he is the one who ignited the drama between coach cvMax and Griffin, leading to the team’s current dire situation. After seeing Sword still remaining with Griffin, Vietnamese gamers couldn’t help but mock this “Sword God” saying he would stay to “carry the team.”
Currently, it is still too early to confirm the future of Griffin as the summer tournaments will not return until June. However, talented players like Viper and Tarzan will certainly be sought after by many teams both inside and outside of Korea. Talent is continuously bleeding out, and the team is relegated; perhaps the future of Griffin is bleaker than ever.