Although some League of Legends teams are preparing for the World Championship, Cloud9 is reportedly busy dealing with a situation between management and the team’s superstar mid laner Jojopyun.
After the League community learned yesterday that Jojopyun was reportedly fired by C9, people scrambled to find more information on what could have happened behind the scenes. First, content creator and streamer IWillDominate said the 19-year-old was reportedly released by C9 after excessive tardiness, failing to show up to various team meetings and events over 40 times throughout the year.
Now, Travis Gafford has reported that Jojopyun’s camp will be “contesting the severity of the alleged tardiness and misbehavior,” which could also have heavy implications on the situation as a whole. With Jojopyun reportedly disputing the accusations of him breaching his contract, this could become a messy “he said, she said” ordeal.
Riot Games may also have to step in and make a decision based on the facts presented, while possibly launching its own investigation into the matter. Additionally, this situation could have major implications on C9’s ability to make offseason moves since the org needs to figure out whether Jojopyun will be contracted with the team through 2025.
According to Gafford, Riot is reportedly giving less money to competing teams next year, which means orgs will need ample time to budget their funds for possible free agent signings for next season. With Jojopyun’s current status in the air, C9 is handcuffed to his contract and the money it’ll need to spend on him—especially since he’s been referred to as the highest-paid player in the league.
From Jojopyun’s future in the LCS to C9’s offseason plans, a lot will seemingly remain on hold with this ongoing controversy and its pending resolution. As of Sept. 12, the young star can still be seen in Riot’s official Global Contract Database with a contract lasting until Nov. 18, 2025.
