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

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

League of Legends

Foo Zen-Wen

13 Apr, 2025, 06:21

|

Last updated: 13 Apr, 2025, 06:36

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.

[twitter url="https://twitter.com/HupuEsports/status/1601065588478337025"]

“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

Latest news

G2 Esports Are the First LEC Team to Qualify for MSI 2026

G2 Esports Are the First LEC Team to Qualify for MSI 2026

Even when things don't seem to be going their way, G2 Esports still seem to pull through. In a roller coaster of a match in the Upper Bracket Finals of the 2026 LEC Spring Playoffs, G2 overcame an 0-2 deficit to complete the reverse sweep over Movistar KOI and secure their spot at MSI 2026.
10h
Martin Arévalo-Östberg

T1 Secure Their Spot at the LoL Esports World Cup 2026

It's official: T1 are returning to the Esports World Cup for another shot at the title (and the hefty prize funds). With Faker at full force leading the team, T1 took down Dplus KIA at the EWC 2026 Korean Qualifiers, securing their spot at this year's League of Legends competition at the Esports World Cup.
20h
Martin Arévalo-Östberg

Naak Nako Makes History at the 2026 LEC Spring Awards

As teams continue to battle for a spot at MSI, the time has come to celebrate the best performing players of the 2026 LEC Spring Regular Season. The All-Pro teams and MVP award winners are in, and one player stands above the rest after a stellar split that saw him become one of just two players in his position to win an LEC MVP award.
24 May
Martin Arévalo-Östberg

NA Legend Doublelift Returns to Team Liquid

Some comebacks feel forced. This one feels like the story was always supposed to end this way. Nearly six years after leaving the team, Yiliang "Doublelift" Peng is officially back at Team Liquid, and the announcement left the community stunned in the best possible way.
23 May
Thales Costa

LEC Playoffs Predictions: Who Makes It to MSI?

The 2026 LEC Spring Playoffs are about to kick off, and only two teams will get to secure their spots at MSI in South Korea. Starting Saturday, May 23, the LEC Spring Playoffs will see the top teams in Europe compete across three weeks of high-stakes action, where every match will be a Best-of-5. Six teams enter the Playoffs, but only two will get to represent the LEC at MSI 2026. Let's go ahead and look at our predictions.
22 May
Martin Arévalo-Östberg

Esports World Cup 2026 Heads to Paris for Its First Edition Outside Saudi Arabia

The world's biggest esports event just found a new home. The Esports World Cup 2026 is officially moving to Paris, France, marking the first time in the tournament's history that it will be hosted outside of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
20 May
Thales Costa

League of Legends Patch 26.11 Preview: Voidgrubs Buff, Smolder Nerf, and Support Items Adjustments

League of Legends Patch 26.11 is incoming. Shop items are the big focus this patch, with many of them set to see adjustments. Changes to several runes are also to be expected along with nerfs that seek to shift the current Support meta.
20 May
Foo Zen-Wen

Comments (0)

Log in to comment on this match