BLG coach declines contract renewal, returns to Korea to join T1, two championship mid-laners reunite for collaboration

Hello to all LPL viewers and League of Legends summoners, this is World Game Hub.

BLG suffered a surprising defeat against NIP in yesterday's match, while off-field news emerged about a new transfer: former BLG coach Easyhoon will join T1.

This also means the two championship mid-laners from SKT will work together once again.

Easyhoon's coaching career has primarily been in the LPL

Easyhoon, one of the conscientious Korean imports in the LPL region, was hailed as VG's savior during his player days and teamed up with Bengi, yet never achieved significant success. After retiring due to declining performance, Easyhoon chose to become a coach, leading teams in the LPL.

He initially served as a coach at SN, guiding the team as an assistant coach, then returned to Korea for military service. After completing his service, he rejoined the LPL, joining WBG as a deputy coach. When WBG's head coach left, he took over as head coach, but his coaching abilities faced criticism from viewers.

At that time, Easyhoon's coaching showed rigidity in BP strategies, leading to doubts about his capability as a head coach. Later, he left WBG and briefly returned to Korea to become a T1 streamer and content creator.

Afterward, he joined BLG as an assistant coach and remained with the team for a considerable period.

During his time in the LPL, viewers held a favorable impression of him. His role resembled a private coach for mid-laners, focusing on helping mid-lane players improve their skills. There were instances where mid-laners excelled under his guidance, including Knight's outstanding performance during his 2024 tenure with BLG, marking a peak in Knight's career.

Parting ways with BLG, returning to T1 to collaborate with Faker

It turns out that Easyhoon isn't well-suited as a team's head coach, but he possesses strong abilities as an assistant coach for mid-lane positions. He excels in detailed post-match reviews, analyzing playstyles, refining player techniques, optimizing lane management, development pacing, resource trading, and mid-game control capabilities.

As a head coach, his overall strategic judgment is insufficient, and his BP lacks adaptability. The period most criticized in his career was during his coaching of WBG with The Shy, where issues were indeed present.

For BLG, Easyhoon actually played a significant role, but during BLG's contract renewal process, he declined. Yesterday, T1 officially signed Easyhoon, and this time he will bring his coaching expertise to T1.

Viewers raise two doubts: first, can Easyhoon truly elevate Faker's individual performance further? Second, given his lengthy coaching tenure at BLG and deep understanding of the team, if T1 faces BLG in future world championships, could this disadvantage BLG?

Editor

Many netizens even joked about RNG, recalling that RNG used to include non-compete clauses in coach contracts, preventing coaches from joining other teams years after leaving—Firefox suffered from this.

Easyhoon's core value: T1 prioritizes three reasons

Let's analyze the above questions carefully. Personally, I believe T1's recruitment of Easyhoon stems from three reasons. First, Easyhoon's former SKT member status; T1 has a tradition of hiring former team players as coaches. Easyhoon not renewing with BLG opened a window for T1.

Second, Easyhoon's coaching experience is indeed extensive, and he greatly assists mid-laners. T1's recent performance has been poor, with Faker's mid-lane play also inconsistent, leading to issues in many matches.

Although Faker's personal accolades and skill as a LoL player are already top-tier, introducing a coach who can relieve mid-lane pressure off-field still offers substantial help. Easyhoon can conduct detailed mid-lane reviews, easing pressure on Faker and other coaching staff, and provide directional guidance.

Third relates to BLG. Whether T1 considered potential future matches against BLG in recruiting Easyhoon—I think this factor exists but is minor. Easyhoon indeed understands Knight and BLG's playstyle well, but after seasonal changes, BLG's team roles and strategies have shifted. Daeny's coaching style differs markedly; Easyhoon can offer some assistance but with limited impact.