In League of Legends esports, sometimes you must tear everything down to build back up again. Longtime North American organization TSM, for example, is in the process of a full teardown following an entire year of disappointing finishes. And now, the rebuild has begun, starting in the jungle.
TSM is bringing on former Estral Esports jungler Lee “Bugi” Seong-yeop as the team’s starting jungler for 2023, according to a report by Blix’s Alejandro Gomis. This is the first major roster report involving the organization after the team was forced to suspend its $210 million naming rights deal with now-bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX.
Bugi has been a journeyman jungler since he started his career in the LJL with Japanese esports organization SCARZ. Since then, the 24-year-old has played for a plethora of different organizations like Machi Esports, Flash Wolves, V3 Esports, Furious Gaming, and, most recently, Estral Esports in the LLA.
He also played in the 2019 Mid-Season Invitational and the 2020 World Championship, which are the only two international tournaments he’s attended over the course of his career. He has, however, only won one major tournament in his career so far, taking home the 2019 LMS Spring championship with Flash Wolves.
Looking ahead, Bugi will be filling in some of the biggest shoes in the league. Over the past four years, TSM’s former jungler Spica quickly became a superstar All-Pro candidate and a leading face of the LCS. His expert mechanical skill, electric playstyle, and relatable personality helped grow a sizable fan base for him and the team, but the org eventually decided to terminate his contract at the end of 2022.
His departure marks the end of an era, and now, one of the most iconic teams in League history will have to rebuild from the ashes of failure for next year. The global free agency period is scheduled to begin on Monday, Nov. 21.
