Breakout North American League of Legends star Kyle “Danny” Sakamaki has finally broken his silence on his departure from the Evil Geniuses lineup and revealed what his future looks like away from the rigors of the LCS.
Danny, still just 19, stepped away from the org’s top League squad ahead of the 2022 World Championship, citing a need to “focus on [his] mental health.”
While many expected the NA-born starlet to return to competitive play in L.A. after his temporary hiatus, the 19-year-old AD carry was instead removed from EG’s active roster in the 2023 trade window. Veteran Australian marksman Victor “FBI” Huang was signed as a bot lane replacement as the 2022 Spring champions reshuffled their roster heading into the new year.
At the time, rumors flew around the whole situation, with some claiming EG bosses had pushed Danny to step away and had even blocked him from taking up other LCS opportunities—a suggestion the All-Pro ADC has now shot down.
“Hello all, ic [sic] there has been quite a lot of news out there and I want to tell you that it [his removal from the EG roster] is completely on me and accusations towards EG aren’t true,” the League star wrote in a tweet on Feb. 27.
According to the 19-year-old, the main reason he stepped away from professional League and the LCS system more permanently in the lead-up to the 2023 season was due to the mounting pressure of being an esports pro. “Evil Geniuses supported me all the way,” Danny added.
And with his surprise return, League fans finally have an answer on his future.
From today, Danny has joined the Evil Geniuses Creator Collective as a streamer for the NA organization. This means he will be moving into a full-time Twitch career with EG’s backing and branding.
“I hope you’ll stay along for the ride,” he told fans, “[And], thanks to EG for giving me the platform and space to continue enjoying my love of all things gaming.”
The newly-minted Twitch streamer didn’t share exactly where he’d be broadcasting after this changeover, but Dot Esports expects the League star to continue using his EG_Danny channel. At the time of writing, the 19-year-old already has nearly 10,000 followers. He last streamed on June 15, 2022, for eighty minutes.
EG’s creator stable already includes former Counter-Strike and VALORANT pro Stewie2k, Rocket League caster Herculyse, streamer Joshseki, and more.
Other ex-LCS pros who have pivoted to Twitch include Sneaky and Meteos.
