The Glorious Past of the “King of MSI”
If T1 (formerly SKT T1) is dubbed the “King of Worlds” with 5 championships, LPL also has its own “King of MSI.” Accordingly, RNG is the most traditional team in MSI with 3 championships in 2018, 2021, and 2022. In fact, RNG’s strength at MSI events set an unprecedented record with star player Xiaohu. Specifically, Xiaohu is the only player in League of Legends history to win 2 international tournaments consecutively in different roles: Top Lane (2021) and Mid Lane (2022).
Not stopping there, RNG was once a formidable force in the LPL and boasted exceptionally talented stars. Alongside Xiaohu, Uzi was also a superstar who had been with RNG for many years and was once considered an icon of the LPL region. With such impressive achievements in the past, it is regrettable that RNG has declined so rapidly over the past two years and is facing a dark future.
The One-Time “King of MSI” Now in Danger
In recent years, RNG’s financial situation is said to be extremely dire as they have continuously faced accusations from players in various disciplines about unpaid salaries, often for extended periods. Even legendary players who had long been associated with the team, such as Uzi and MLXG, have spoken out about RNG owing them money despite having retired long ago. All of this paints a grim picture for the future of RNG.
Just when it seemed things couldn’t get any worse for RNG, the new owner of the team shocked fans in a negative direction. Specifically, Coach KenZhu (who is seen as a key figure in building RNG for the 2025 season) recently revealed that RNG’s owner Bai Xing has absconded with money. This is because the owner had not been in contact with KenZhu for weeks to discuss RNG’s future plans. This was further corroborated when the female manager of RNG posted on Weibo a status suggesting that the owner had “abandoned the team.”
Discussing this incident, Sohu of LPL expressed little surprise at RNG’s decline. They even revealed that RNG has become a “national enemy” in the LPL due to frequently employing unscrupulous tactics, including inserting unreasonable contract terms to deceive players and other teams. As a result, no individual or esports organization in the LPL wants to assist RNG, even as the team faces the risk of dissolution.
Fairly assessing the decline of a prestigious team like RNG is indeed sad for LPL fans. However, given what this team has done in recent years, its potential dissolution (if it occurs) could even be seen as a “good omen” for the region. Hopefully, the talented players of RNG, such as LWX, Ming, and even Wei (who is out of contract with BLG), will soon free themselves from this team and find new homes in the future.