After a disappointing finish to the 2024 competitive League of Legends season, Cloud9 fans might have even more bad news to deal with before the year ends.
According to former pro League player and content creator IWillDominate, C9 has fired superstar mid laner Jojopyun in a surprising development that’s stunned the community. The 34-year-old streamer referenced multiple sources in a video today who claim the talented player had his contract terminated due to excessive tardiness.
Dom claims Jojopyun had a record of tardiness throughout the year, but after one troublesome bout of delays, the team began tracking how many times he showed up late for team meetings, workouts, scrims, and other obligations. Ultimately, Jojopyun reportedly racked up 43 different instances of tardiness throughout the season, and after the last infraction, the team terminated his contract, according to Dom.
Ever since his LCS debut in 2022, Jojopyun has been heralded as a leader for the new era of League in North America, boasting confidence, skill, and on-stage charisma that helped him win over many fans. He’s also been referred to as the “highest-paid player in the league” by his teammate Blaber, making this situation even more baffling.
Community members voiced their concern over the situation, saying that even though fans should be understanding of young pro players and the stress they undergo on a daily basis, being late more than 43 times is unacceptable for a signed superstar in a professional organization.
If the reports are true, however, this could be a major sign of burnout for one of the most promising players in the league, and if so, it should also be taken seriously by Jojopyun and the people around him.
Many players have bowed out of professional esports due to stress and burnout, including Jojopyun’s former teammate and AD carry phenom, Danny. Luckily for both C9 and Jojopyun, there’s plenty of time to cool down and figure out the next steps necessary to ensure a better outcome for both parties before 2025.
