Transfer drama unexpectedly erupts in LPL, putting one team in a situation reminiscent of T1
Accordingly, on the evening of November 24 (Vietnam time), many reports circulated on Weibo indicating that JD Gaming had “broken the bank” to acquire the duo Scout – Peyz. Everything would be normal if not for the fact that one of them is still wearing the LNG Esports jersey (Scout) and the other has been confirmed as a rookie for LNG (Peyz).
In less than 24 hours, the situation has evolved like this, leaving many viewers truly surprised. According to Chinese media, the reason stems from JDG offering a substantial amount of money to the representatives of the two players to influence and force their clients to change their minds. The representatives of Scout and Peyz are none other than Supergent – a very well-known agency in the League of Legends community.
For those who don’t know, Supergent represents many famous players, including several former players or current members of T1, such as Scout, Keria, Ruler… Notably, Supergent was also the source that almost prevented Scout from participating in the 2024 World Championship due to this agency’s confusion regarding financial and contract issues with Scout’s former team, Edward Gaming.
Additionally, LNG’s situation, if the incident truly occurs and the deals are finalized, is quite similar to T1 as they may find themselves in a position of “having no one left to recruit.” However, if T1 manages to secure a quality signing like Doran, LNG’s situation could be far worse since there aren’t many skilled players left in LPL now.
Moreover, according to some information from Hanyi – a rather reputable source in the LPL region, Supergent is also “playing both sides” by contacting both JDG and LNG simultaneously. This could be seen as a form of “double-dealing” with both teams while Gen.G has not officially parted ways with Peyz.
This is also the case with Zeus when his agency expressed hesitance, wanting to use both T1 and Hanwha Life Esports to gauge the intentions of the other team in the recent transfer drama.
Unlike T1, LPL’s transfer drama may be resolved quickly by Riot
Indeed, if JDG does “break ranks” to acquire players, LNG would have every right to file a lawsuit if there is evidence of JDG’s transfer violations (if any). Furthermore, if LNG truly loses Scout – Peyz, they will also face the risk of disbanding their roster. Therefore, if the situation arises, LNG must certainly protect their interests.
According to some sources from LPL, LNG intends to recruit Tian, and one condition is that they must have a sufficiently strong roster for Tian to agree to join. Scout and Peyz are the “leverage” for the Tian – LNG deal to occur. If Scout – Peyz cannot join, Tian might also leave. At that point, LNG would have no one left to fill the positions.
Moreover, JDG may also encounter issues regarding salary caps if they truly want to build such a “star-studded” team. The LPL is said to have “yielded” to JDG when they recruited Ruler in 2023. No one knows if Riot and the LPL organizers will “turn a blind eye” again, especially when JDG’s maneuvers affect the interests of another team.
However, as of now, the incident remains at the level of rumors. Only when official information is released will the audience be able to know the reactions of the parties involved.