Veteran League of Legends support Choi “huhi” Jae-hyun is reportedly leaving Golden Guardians behind and joining reigning LCS champs NRG for the next chapter of his LCS journey in 2024.
The roster change was first reported by League blog Sheep Esports on Nov. 17. After years of flipping between 100 Thieves and Golden Guardians, huhi may have finally found a new home after nearly a decade in the LCS.
The switch follows a somewhat successful regular season with the team, finishing second in the LCS 2023 Spring Playoffs and fourth in the LCS Summer Split. Landing the fourth seed allowed the team to compete in the Worlds Qualifying Series 2023 for a chance at the international tournament; however, they were sent packing after a devastating 0-3 loss against Team BDS.
On the other hand, NRG had a somewhat disappointing start to the year, finishing their re-debut LCS split in fifth place. However, their domestic expectations were flipped on their head once they found their footing in the Summer Split, taking out the LCS Championship title in first place. Their success at Worlds saw them as the last Western team standing come the quarter-finals.
With years of experience behind him since his 2014 debut, joining NRG will reunite huhi with his Australian botlaner from 100 Thieves Victor “FBI” Huang. The two played together on the team for two full years during 2021 and 2022.
Sheep Esports’ report mentions their sources confirming that NRG has also explored the possibility of putting other players on the market—surprising given the team’s success last split and at Worlds—but it appears unlikely at this time.
NRG made its initial LCS debut in 2016 but the org’s stint in the league was cut short after a ninth-place finish in the Summer Split knocked them into Promotion, where the team then dropped to Echo Fox. NRG’s re-emergence into the LCS sphere along with its level of success in 2023 has been unparalleled. Coming into the 2024 season in January, the team will continue to explore its strength and identity now with huhi in tow, should the reported move remain true.
