North American esports organization Dignitas has signed a two year contract extension with top laner Heo “Huni” Seung-hoon, to the tune of $2.3 million. In a report by ESPN, this deal would place Huni as one of the highest earning players in the League of Legends Championship Series (LCS).
Huni signs for $2.3 million
This contract extension makes the veteran top laner one of the highest paid players in the LCS, comparable to Team Liquid top laner Jung “Impact” Eon-yeong who signed a three-year contract for $3.4 million. While Huni’s contract has been extended, there hasn’t been any news about Nam “Lira” Tae-yoo, who has been with the team since 2017. There are also rumors that other players may be traded during the current offseason.
The former SK Telecom T1 player joined Clutch Gaming in November of 2018, after playing the 2018 season with Echo Fox. The roster did not do as well starting off, with a second to last finish in the 2019 LCS Spring Split. However, in the middle of the Summer Split, it was announced that Dignitas had merged with Clutch Gaming and would go through a rebrand. With new management helping out, a roster change was made shortly after with the departure of Chae “Piglet” Gwang-jin.
Making it to Worlds 2019
Ultimately, the team placed 5th in the Summer Split, 4th in the Summer Playoffs, and made a Worlds run with the 2019 LCS Regional Finals. After beating Team SoloMid (TSM) in a 3 – 2 match, Clutch Gaming had qualified for the 2019 World Championships. It proceeded well at first, with the team repping black and yellow emerging from the Play-In Stage. However, the team was then sent to Group C alongside powerhouses like SK Telecom T1, Fnatic, and Royal Never Give Up. After losing every single one of their games, Clutch Gaming was sent home.
Although Clutch Gaming was eliminated in the bottom half of the bracket, it is still an accomplishment for a team that hasn’t done so well in previous seasons. While many are applauding Huni for securing such a contract, they are also questioning Dignitas for paying so much. Do you think Huni is worth nearly $100,000 a month? Let us know about your opinion, and keep up with Daily Esports for all of your League of Legends coverage.
