Dardoch to TSM, Closer to Golden Guardians, Peanut to LGD Gaming [LoL]

Teams around the world are scrambling for junglers in the offseason.  In the LCS, Team Solomid added a jungler that fans have long been waiting for. Joshua “Dardoch” Hartnett will suit up for TSM in 2020 after his release from former team Optic Gaming. Dardoch has been one of the most polarizing figures in North American League of Legends. A documentary entitled “Breaking Point” exhibited his alleged toxic behavior towards his former teammates in Team Liquid. Despite being hailed as a mechanical prodigy, his raw skills failed to bring him much success. Moreover, his reputation as a horrible teammate followed him as he bounced around from team to team.  I guess it’s better late than never for Dardoch as he will finally get to don the black and white of Team Solomid next year.

It’s been a long time coming. Please welcome @Dardoch to #TSM.
⚫️: https://t.co/Rw2zciY9cc pic.twitter.com/VAkj3dO3r0

— TSM (@TSM) November 22, 2019

TCL to LCS

Especially with the coming changes in Season 10, strong, pro-active junglers are more important than ever. That is why the Golden Guardians are banking on Royal Youth’s 21 year old Can “Closer” Çelik to bolster their lineup. Closer rose to prominence in Summer 2018 when he and then-teammate Sergen “Broken Blade” Çelik finished first place in the regular season. However, they failed to qualify for Worlds, losing the title match to Berkay “Zeitnot” Aşıkuzun’s SuperMassive eSports. Broken Blade joined TSM shortly after and Closer soon became the team’s shining star. Royal Youth lost once more in Spring to SUP before finally triumphing in Summer, earning MVP honors for himself. The win gave them a stint in the Play-in Stage of Worlds 2019. He will join Broken Blade in the LCS next year, albeit as a rival.

Hello guys, Closer here from the TCL. I’m coming to play for the Golden Guardians in the LCS. I hope to make you all proud and thanks for all the support ! ❤️ https://t.co/B4JmvajMMK

— Can (@closerlol1) November 21, 2019

LCK to LPL

Han “Peanut” Wang-ho is headed to China after signing a contract with LPL’s LGD Gaming. Gen.G released most of their roster only recently, which included Peanut. With most LCK teams already having a jungler or at least willing to try a young one, he decided to play overseas instead. Meanwhile, LGD aren’t new to signing high-profile Korean stars. Back in the Great Korean Exodus post-Worlds 2014, LGD acquired newly-crowned World Champion Gu “imp” Seung-bin, along with Choi “Acorn” Cheon-ju and Lee “Flame” Ho-jong. This time, they’re trying their hands at a new set of players, led by Peanut and Ha “Kramer” Jong-hun.

As for Peanut, his reputation seemed to have taken a turn for the worse. A fan-favorite back when he was on ROX Tigers, he became famous for being a mechanical monster on picks like Lee Sin. However, his inability to adapt to the modern meta-game left fans disappointed for quite a while. In China, he will be far away from the high-pressure environment in Korea and it might just be what he needs to have a career resurgence. All the best, Peanut!