Fans of the global phenomena League of Legends will be shocked to hear that top player Hai Lam has just announced his retirement from eSports due to an ongoing wrist injury. The news comes after his team, Cloud 9, finished in second place at last week’s League of Legends North American Championship Series.
Lam has fronted the American team since its incarnation, carrying them to a number of notable victories. Not only has he played a pivotal part in Cloud 9’s competitive success, but he was also a member when they broke the record for the longest standing original roster in League of Legends history.
However, it should also be noted that despite its star studded history, Cloud 9 have recently come under fire for a succession of poor performances and ongoing problems with group morale. Suffering a number of weak episodes at major League of Legends‘ events, the team endured a precarious start to the year. Luckily, Lam and co. managed to claw their way back into a second place finish in both the final standings and the playoffs, but not without damaging their hopes of reaching the World Championship.
Obviously, the question on most C9 fanatic’s lips is who will be taking over from the departing star. As far as replacements go, there are a few speculations. European trouble-maker, Nicolaj Jensen AKA “Incarnati0n” is pipped as one of the forerunners to follow Lam, despite his controversial ban from professional play in 2013. David “Yusui” Bloomquist also has a strong chance, having sat on the bench for Cloud 9 in the past. Regardless of who supplants Lam, he will still have place within the team, assisting owner Jack Etienne.
Tell us, who do you think will be claiming Hai Lam’s place atop America’s most renowned eSports team?