One of the biggest teams in the professional League of Legends scene experienced a significant player exodus on Monday morning.
Xenics, known for their consistent high placement in 2012 and 2013, including several third place finishes in regional tournaments and a first place finish at the World GameMaster Tournament, had 70 percent of their active rosters leave the organization due to nonpayment.
Xenics was founded in early 2012 by former StarCraft: Brood War pro-gamer Hong “Yellow” Jin Ho, also known as Storm. The team quickly gained recognition and success, finishing third place in the Azubu Champions Spring 2013 tournament and winning ₩ 20,000,000 ($18,440). Shortly after, they secured another third place finish in the Regional Finals in September. In June, they established a sister team called Xenics Blast. Storm’s most memorable achievement was defeating the Taiwanese Gamania Bears in the World GameMaster Tournament, earning ¥ 50,000 ($8,250) and the first place trophy.
Unfortunately, the team’s fortunes have taken a turn for the worse. Four players from Storm and three players from Blast, including all-star Lee “Piccaboo” Jong Beom, have left. There are rumors that Lee might join current world champions SKT T1 K, as they recently lost their team captain who plays the same position as Lee.
The claim of nonpayment is confusing for many fans, considering Xenics is the leading company for mechanical keyboards in Korea. Failing to pay an esports team can have serious consequences, as esports serve as a major branding opportunity for companies in Korea. Losing the support of fans can be a significant setback.
For now, fans will have to wait and see how the Korean scene evolves. The league is currently in the offseason and will resume in March.
Photo courtesy Xenics