Recently, several sources in China confirmed that the LPL is about to witness a blockbuster deal, as Invictus Gaming is preparing to recruit Chovy – a player currently under Hanwha Life Esports, in order to undergo a restructuring after a completely disastrous 2021 season.
The information related to the IG.Chovy deal is speculated based on a few clues from the Korean server, specifically the “unusual” reaction of those involved to this news.
Specifically, in a recent ranked match, Ruler, Teddy, and Chovy were on the same team. Ruler unexpectedly teased Chovy by asking Teddy in chat: “Hey, do you know who that mid-laner is?”, and surprisingly, Chovy responded with a greeting in Chinese: “Nihao…”
After that, Teddy “sealed the deal” with a devastating “spoil” by answering Ruler’s question: “Do we even need to ask? Our mid-laner is the number 1 mid-lane in China.”
The actions of Teddy and Ruler suggest that they seem to have information about Chovy preparing for a significant career change, likely joining an LPL team after this season.
Additionally, the owner of Invictus Gaming – Wang Zuting, made a peculiar move by donating to Beifeng – a well-known “one-champ Qiyana” streamer in China, with content teasing and challenging him: “Are you brave enough to do a solo with Chovy’s Yone?”
Wang Zuting’s move indicates that he and IG seem to have been in contact with Chovy, and this action makes perfect sense, as Rookie is almost certainly retiring after this season, and IG is in dire need of finding a star of sufficient caliber to replace him.
As for Chovy, despite being regarded as one of the top mid-laners in the world, this player has never experienced the feeling of being a champion. In fact, in the 2021 LCK Summer, Chovy struggled to “carry” Hanwha Life Esports away from the bottom of the standings. Clearly, HLE is currently not a team that matches Chovy’s caliber, and moving to China like his former teammates Tarzan and Viper is a reasonable choice if Chovy wants to take a new step in his career.
