RNG Letme to take break from competitive play
Royal Never Give Up had one hell of a year. However, it looks like they will be looking for a new top laner for 2019. Yan “Letme” Jun-Ze will be taking a break from all competitive play with RNG for the foreseeable future. A Redditor on the League of Legends subreddit would translate his words as well.
Letme would begin his letter to the fans with a pretty sad statement about the beginning of this past year:
Maybe life is made of regrets. I’ve been thinking a lot about this matter. At the beginning of [the] year, I talked to the club about retirement cause I didn’t feel like I [was] at my best form. I wanted to stick around for one more year, and give myself closure. I have been trying hard for the whole year to overcome my own problems, and the team, coach and club have always been there for me.
RNG had a pretty impressive year for themselves, managing to win multiple major tournaments. For example, the team won both the spring and summer playoffs in the LPL, and also won the 2018 Mid-Season Invitational. They would also help their region with Rift Rivals 2018, where they faced off against some of the best teams from South Korea and Taiwan. This may have been one of China’s best years in League history. However, RNG would also fall short at the grandest stage of them all, the 2018 World Championship.
A Colossal Letdown
As of today, RNG Letme will take a break off competitive scene.
We wish him the best during his break and look forward for a stronger Letme.RNG is always your home!
— Royal Never Give Up (@RNG) December 23, 2018
At Worlds, Letme and company were one of the favorites to win the whole competition. RNG and South Korea’s KT Rolster, another tournament favorite, would end up disappointing all of their fans in one fell swoop. After dominating their groups, RNG and KT Rolster would lose in spectacular fashion in the quarterfinals. KT Rolster would fall to eventual World Champions, Invictus Gaming. However, RNG ended up losing to Europe’s third seed, G2 Esports.
Letme spoke about this disappointing finish in the Weibo post, saying:
In Busan, South Korea, we lost. I, my team, my fans and everyone are very disappointed and sad about this ending. I never felt so close to it, but yet so far away from it. The most important step of the year has not been able to go one step further. I’m disappointed with myself. I’m sad because I couldn’t help my teammates and team. I’ve been thinking about it for a long time. It will probably be the biggest and saddest regret in my whole life.
Granted, this was one of the most exciting World Championship tournaments in the history of League of Legends. Multiple strong teams were knocked out early, and many underdog stories would rise forth. North America would reach the semifinals of Worlds for the first time ever. Fnatic would become the first Western team to reach the Finals since season one. RNG was a part of history, but just on the wrong side.
Letme and his decision
Lastly, Letme wrote about his decision to take a break from League of Legends. He does acknowledge the fact that he may retire, but it isn’t certain yet.
In the period after season eight, I thought about a lot. The most part is that I can not bring more help to the team. I have no way to concentrate. The more confused I become, the more I think about it. I have no way to know what I really want to do. Everyone wants to help me and the club has communicated with me a lot. I tried to overcome my problems for so long before. I think it’s really the limit. Maybe this time, I really need some time to think about it. Maybe it’s time to leave.
A break should be good for Letme, as it looks like the years of competition are weighing heavily on him. However, it does seem like he may be leaning towards retirement. Whatever he decides, we wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.
What are your thoughts on Letme leaving RNG and possibly retiring? Let us know what you think in the comments below! If you want more League of Legends coverage, check us out here!
