After a long season of competitive League of Legends, some of the world’s best players are headed to South Korea for the Summoner’s Cup. The 2023 World Championship will showcase the best teams from around the world, but there were many talented squads and players who missed out on the tournament. Let’s take a look at some of the standout players who won’t be participating in Worlds 2023.
Park “Viper” Do-hyeon – Hanwha Life Esports
Viper, a top-three AD carry, won’t be competing for glory in South Korea. Despite winning the Summoner’s Cup a couple of years ago, Viper has fallen out of the spotlight since returning to the LCK with Hanwha Life Esports. Although there was a lot of excitement surrounding his team at the beginning of the year, they didn’t have enough consistent performances to match up against the top teams in the region.
Yu “JackeyLove” Wen-Bo – Top Esports
JackeyLove, one of the most explosive marksmen in the world, won’t be fighting for the Summoner’s Cup this year. Despite always being considered a top contender, JackeyLove and his teammates had a rough time trying to break into the upper echelon of the region. Without a strong roster around him, JackeyLove couldn’t keep up with teams that had multiple carry threats.
Marcin “Jankos” Jankowski – Team Heretics
Jankos, one of the best junglers in European history, missed out on Worlds despite his valiant efforts. He was the standout player on his team and carried them throughout the year. Many fans believe that without Jankos, the team would have struggled even more. He put up impressive numbers and had an incredible season during the spring, leading all junglers in kills and being top three in kill participation and damage in his role.
Emil “Larssen” Larsson – KOI
Larssen, who signed a four-year contract extension with KOI, will be missing Worlds for the first time since 2020. Despite his individual brilliance, Larssen’s team struggled to find consistency and finished outside of the top five for most of the year. However, Larssen was the highest-producing player on his team, leading in kills and having the highest KDA of any LEC mid laner during the summer split.
Joseph “jojopyun” Pyun – Evil Geniuses
Jojopyun, North America’s most valuable player, won’t be attending Worlds despite his outstanding performance for Evil Geniuses. He had one of the best years of his career and was the main reason behind the team’s competitiveness. Jojopyun’s numbers reached career-highs in various categories and he had dominant early-game stats. Although the team faltered in the playoffs, the 18-year-old phenom has plenty of motivation to bounce back in 2024.
These players, along with many others, will be watching Worlds 2023 from home. It’s unfortunate that they won’t have the opportunity to showcase their skills on the international stage. However, their absence should serve as motivation to come back even stronger in the future.
League of Legends, Worlds 2023, esports, competition, Summoner’s Cup, best teams, talented squads, Viper, JackeyLove, Jankos, Larssen, jojopyun, Hanwha Life Esports, Top Esports, Team Heretics, KOI, Evil Geniuses.