After spending four years with Cloud9’s League of Legends division, one of the league’s most recognizable talents might be headed off to new horizons.
Star top laner Fudge is reportedly being replaced on C9’s main LCS roster for the 2024 Summer Split, according to esports reporter Brieuc Seeger. The 21-year-old will be involved in one of the two supposed major moves the team is making during the mid-season break, including a staff change that will reportedly see head coach Mithy replaced by former C9 head coach Reapered.
Meanwhile, Fudge is supposedly being replaced by Dplus KIA’s rising prospect Park “Thanatos” Seung-gyu, who has set the Korean Challengers scene ablaze with a pair of LCK CL Finals MVP awards. The 19-year-old phenom was also reportedly in talks with multiple LCK organizations, and even Karmine Corp in the LEC.
Thanatos was also supposedly slated to take over the top lane position on DK during the previous offseason, but the team decided against having multiple rookies on its starting lineup. The team’s current lineup already features up-and-coming jungler prospect Lucid, who has been one of the best young stars in the league through the first few months of the year.
C9, on the other hand, has reportedly made this decision after suffering an early departure from the LCS playoff race for the first time since the 2022 Summer Split. The core of Fudge, Blaber, and Berserker have ripped through the competition in that time, winning two trophies and multiple All-Pro awards.
This time, however, the team looked a lot less formidable than in seasons past, and even though Fudge signed a multi-year deal with C9 last year, the team might already be ready to move on. He had the lowest kills of any LCS top laner and the lowest average damage to champions in the Spring Split, according to League stats aggregate Oracle’s Elixir.
Overall, Fudge’s impact on C9’s games has lessened tremendously when compared to his first few years with the team, especially with the roster shifting focus from him to Jojopyun and Berserker for 2024. Although this would sadly be the end of an era for C9, this move could be a chance for Fudge to rewrite his destiny in a place where he can flourish, and in a system that fits his playstyle.
