To the Top: Rookie joins Top Esports lineup for 2023 LPL season

Rookie Rising

Top Esports has announces their new lineup for 2023, and it includes former Victory Five and Invictus Gaming Song “Rookie” Eui-jin. The 25-year-old mid laner will serve as a veteran bolster for the relatively young squad.

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“Rookie” has spent the better part of a decade competing in first the LCK, on a newly formed KT Rolster Arrows, before making the jump to Invictus Gaming. Widely regarded as one of the best players in the world, and of all time, “Rookie” debuted with the loving moniker of ‘Faker Junior,’ due to his incredible mechanics and large champion pool.

He was also part of the legendary Invictus Gaming roster that took down a rampant Fnatic in the finals of Worlds 2018 (winning 3-0). On Top Esports, he reunites with long time teammate Yu “JackeyLove” Wen-Bo as well.

Blood in the Water

The LPL season is shaping up to be a nasty all-out brawl in 2023 as announcements continue to come in. With recent announcements on long-time mid laner Zhuo “knight” Ding’s departure, Top Esports had to face the prospects of shopping for a top-tier replacement.

Luckily, top-tier mid laners, are the LPL’s number one export. With names like “Yagao,” “Doinb,” “knight,” and “Xiaohu,” there is no shortage of prospects for Top Esports to pick from. Should “Rookie” and “JackeyLove” manage to recover the magic of 2018 Invictus Gaming, Top Esports will have a path to success led by two veterans of the scene.

Quiet Year for Top Team

Despite a powerhouse of a roster in 2022, Top Esports was unable to achieve similar levels of success as in years prior. In 2020, they achieved semi-finals, falling to finalist Suning Gaming. Despite making it to Worlds again in 2022, they would fall in the group stage, the only LPL team to do so.

Their loss would signal the end of the project as long-time mid laner “knight” signalled his departure in the wake of it. Jungler Gao “Tian” Tian-Liang and AD Carry “JackeyLove” have been secured for the 2023 season, arguably the two remaining stars of the former roster. Now with the addition of “Rookie,” a case could be made for reformation.

Top Esports roster in 2023 will look as follows:

• Huang “Wayward” Ren-Xing
• Gao “Tian” Tian Liang
• Song “Rookie” Eui Jin
• Yu “JackeyLove” Wen-Bo
• Ling “Mark” Xu

Image credit: Riot Games/ League of Legends