The semi-annual League of Legends roster shakeup has begun. And in China, the scene has already lost three of its most legendary names.
After a disappointing season and a failed qualification for the 2015 World Championship, Oh My God players Gao “Gogoing” Di-Ping, Yin “LoveLing” Le, and Hu “Cloud” Zhen-Wei are retiring from their professional League of Legends careers. The players took to their Weibo profiles simultaneously to announce their decisions earlier today.
Oh My God had trouble transitioning in new marksman Jian “Uzi” Zi-Hao into its playstyle throughout the season. Prior to his debut with the squad, analysts and fans were hopeful that the young AD carry prodigy would lead the team to the top. But in his first split, the team took fifth-eighth place after a loss to LGD Gaming.
As a result, the team benched Gogoing, LoveLing, and Cloud on May 20. Both Gogoing and LoveLing ultimately returned to the starting lineup, but Cloud remained on the bench for the rest of the season. The swaps only seemed to make things harder for the team, and Oh My God took seventh in the regular season, as well as seventh in playoffs after falling to Vici Gaming.
Gogoing and Cloud were both hailed as some of the best players in the region only a year ago. In October 2014, the two led the team to a semifinal berth at the 2014 World Championship where they ultimately lost to rival Star Horn Royal Club. The run is often credited to the two’s spectacular individual performances.
It’s not clear who will replace the players, but with an upcoming off-season just around the corner, the team will likely have many options to choose from. If it sticks with its current lineup, backups Hu “xiyang” Bin, Yan “juejue” Hong, and Liu “Amazing” Shi-Yu will fill the positions respectively.
Photo via Riot Games/Flickr
