Former MAD Lions Jungler Shad0w Joins LGD Gaming, Becomes First European Player in LPL
Shad0w, the former jungler for MAD Lions, has made history by becoming the first European player to join the LPL. He recently signed on as the starting jungler for LGD Gaming, marking a significant milestone in his career.
After attending the League of Legends World Championship with MAD Lions in 2020 but being eliminated in the play-in stage, Shad0w took a split’s break. Known for his exceptional Lee Sin gameplay in the LEC, he showcased an aggressive and gank-heavy playstyle, proving himself to be a valuable asset to MAD throughout 2020. He earned his spot in the World Championship in his first competitive split in a major region after transitioning from the European regional league team Mousesports to the LEC.
Transition to LGD Gaming
Although Elyoya replaced Shad0w on the LEC roster, he remained teamless during the Spring 2021 season. However, in December 2020, he confirmed via a post on his Weibo account that he would be heading to the LPL. Despite not starting for any team in the Spring Split, his move to LGD Gaming made him the first European national to start for a team in the LPL. It is worth mentioning that Shad0w is of Chinese-Italian descent and has previously competed in Italian and German regional leagues before making his way to the LEC.
LGD Gaming’s decision to pick up Shad0w comes after a disappointing 2021 Spring Split in the LPL, where they finished in 14th place and failed to qualify for the playoffs. After defeating Shad0w and MAD Lions in the play-in stage at Worlds 2020, LGD was swiftly eliminated in the group stage. However, the team has made some changes during the offseason, bringing back mid laner Xiye and support Mark, who had brief stints on JD Gaming and Bilibili Gaming, respectively. LGD aims to replicate their successful 2020 Worlds qualification run, and Shad0w’s return brings excitement to an organization that has recently underperformed in the LPL.
Looking Ahead
The LPL is set to return on June 9, and fans are eager to see how Shad0w performs in his new role with LGD Gaming. As the first European player to join the LPL, Shad0w’s journey represents a significant milestone for the European esports scene and paves the way for more European players to compete in the highly competitive Chinese League of Legends scene.
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