Royal Never Give Up Announces Departure of Mid Laner and Coach
Royal Never Give Up (RNG) recently announced that their mid laner, Xiang “Angel” Tao, and coach Yang “Xiaobai” Zhong-he, will be leaving the team. This decision comes after a disappointing split for RNG, where they barely made it into the LPL Spring Playoffs and were eliminated in the second round by finalist BiBili Gaming.
With the Summer Split approaching, fans are curious about who will be the replacement for Angel. In his latest stream, RNG’s support Shi “Ming” Sen-Ming gave some hints about the mysterious player.
“Actually, I shouldn’t tell you because of NDAs,” Ming stated, “but considering you guys are my family, I will tell you something… The player starts with the letter M and [his name] is four characters. That’s all you can know. Don’t leak it.”
Fans Speculate on the New Mid Laner
Although there is no official confirmation yet, fans have already started narrowing down the candidates and guessing who the new mid laner will be. Initially, some thought it could be Kim “Doinb” Tae-sang, the former LNG mid laner and 2019 world champion. However, based on Ming’s hints, it is unlikely to be Doinb.
Another speculation is that Ming himself could switch roles and become the starting mid laner, as he has experience playing different positions. Some fans have also considered the possibility of former RNG jungler Liu “Mlxg” Shi-Yu. However, both role swaps are unlikely, given the difficulty of learning and adapting to a new role. Mlxg is also retired.
Li “Mole” Hao-Yan: The Most Fitting Candidate
After considering all the possibilities, the most fitting candidate for RNG’s new mid laner is Li “Mole” Hao-Yan. Mole previously played for Invictus Gaming and has over five years of competitive experience. He has also played for top LPL teams like BiliBili Gaming, EDward Gaming, Victory Five, and Team WE.
Although Mole’s most recent performance with IG resulted in a 13th-place finish during the 2022 Summer Split, he is currently a free agent. He is known for playing control mages like Zoe, Syndra, and Ryze, which aligns with RNG’s mid-bot-centric playstyle.
The LPL Summer Split will resume after the Mid-Season Invitational, with JD Gaming and BiliBili Gaming representing the Chinese region.
Keyword: Royal Never Give Up, LPL, League of Legends, esports