Former MSI Champion Fails to Qualify for 2024 Worlds
This season, the team once regarded as one of the most powerful in the League of Legends scene, JD Gaming, which was close to the “Golden Road,” has struggled immensely. With only 2 position changes, JDG has gone from being a top championship contender in every tournament they participated in to plummeting and missing the chance to compete for the domestic championship early on.
Not to mention, they have become the former MSI champion without even participating in this tournament, as they failed to finish in the top 2 of the LPL Spring 2024. Recently, they lost to Weibo Gaming in the regional qualifier and must watch the Worlds from home.
For ordinary teams, this may not be a disaster. However, JDG is a top-tier name, and just last year, they were the biggest hope of the LPL when facing off against Gen.G or T1. But at this moment, JDG has hit rock bottom, and there is information that JDG will build a new roster next season entirely with domestic players. Thus, the future of Ruler and Kanavi is in question.
Former MSI Champion Faces Unemployment Risk
However, in reality, Ruler still has 1 year left on his contract with JDG. Even if he is released early, based on his performance during the Summer Split, especially in the playoffs and regional qualifiers, Ruler has still shown he possesses high quality. Meanwhile, the former Griffin star is in a much more precarious position. Kanavi has had a poor year in 2024, struggling to coordinate with Yagao. Furthermore, this player has not performed noticeably or defeated competitors like Tian, Wei… In the loss against WBG, Yagao and Kanavi were the two players rated the lowest.
If he returns to the LCK, there’s no guarantee that any top team would recruit Kanavi. Both Hanwha Life Esports and Gen.G already have strong junglers. T1’s Oner is one of the two most stable performers of the 2024 season alongside Gumayusi. Moreover, Oner is a homegrown talent. Perhaps only Dplus KIA and KT Rolster are plausible options, with KT being a more suitable destination as this team is likely to rebuild its entire roster since all players’ contracts have expired.
Kanavi has proven his talent, but he also shows that his current form is very poor. Every direction he considers is fraught with challenges, and the former GRF star must tread carefully if he does not want his career to face further jeopardy.