Following their failure to qualify for the League of Legends 2024 World Championship, more troubling news has emerged from C9 as jojopyun has reportedly been dismissed from the team.
Image Credit: Robert Paul/Riot Games
C9 parts ways with jojopyun due to repeated tardiness
According to a report by former professional LoL player and current content creator IWillDominate, C9 has terminated their mid laner, jojopyun, which has come as a surprise to most of the League community. IWD stated that the player’s contract was ended due to frequent tardiness issues throughout the year.
After initial signs of this behavior, IWD revealed that C9 began keeping track of jojopyun’s late arrivals to team meetings, workouts, scrims, and other responsibilities. The team recorded 43 instances of tardiness, leading to the early termination of the contract.
What happens next?
This news has raised concerns within the League community, with many stating that being late more than 43 times is unacceptable in a professional setting, particularly considering jojopyun’s status as a domestic superstar. He rose to fame in 2020 as a solo queue prodigy and was scouted by Evil Geniuses the following year. In a short period, jojopyun became one of the most sought-after mid lane talents in the league, with his teammate and C9 jungler Blaber referring to him as the “highest-paid player in the league.”
While the reason behind this behavioral pattern remains unclear, jojopyun’s departure from C9 shortly after the end of the LCS championship has come as a surprise and is likely to have implications for the upcoming off-season, especially with the merging of North America and South America under the Americas League. With the official transfer window set to open in November, there is time for both C9 and jojopyun to assess their next steps going forward.
