After announcing his temporary retirement from professional play at the end of 2019, Smeb – one of the most famous top laners in LCK history, has almost disappeared from the media spotlight. However, recently, the star who rose to fame with ROX Tigers has unexpectedly become a hot topic again, following rumors that he is about to join eStar – the rookie team of LPL from the last season.
Specifically, this information emerged from a leaked message between player Maple and a member of eStar, which mentioned Smeb’s name. The content of the message indicates that Maple is eagerly awaiting Smeb’s return to the professional arena, and eStar seems to be an ideal destination.
On Smeb’s side, the former player of ROX Tigers and KT Rolster has not hidden his intention to return to professional play. He stated: “Currently, I am still seriously training and reaching out to other teams. There hasn’t been any official announcement yet, but I will continue to wait for opportunities.”
However, “Smeb” Kyung-ho was regarded as the number one top laner in LCK from 2016 to 2018. At the peak of his career, Smeb’s journey was closely associated with two major teams, ROX Tigers and KT Rolster. He won 2 LCK championships with these teams but also missed out on the World Championship title multiple times.
In his final year at KT, Smeb showed signs of a relatively “devastating” decline in performance, coinciding with the downturn of the former champion. At the end of the 2019 season, Smeb announced a temporary retirement from professional play but left the door open for a comeback.
Nevertheless, considering the long break from competition coupled with his less convincing recent performance, it is truly challenging to assess Smeb’s level of success, especially if he transitions to LPL, where numerous top-tier top laners are currently shining in the world stage.