After what many assumed was the start of his retirement, Korean League of Legends player Kim “doinb” Tae-sang will be competing in pro League again.
Starting in competitive League at 18, doinb has taken home a number of awards during his seven-year tenure as a pro player. In 2019, he and FunPlus Phoenix won the 2019 World Championship. He became the first player in the LPL circuit to win the most valuable player award on two separate occasions. Some have even compared doinb to mid-lane legend Faker, especially when looking at Kim’s skill with unorthodox mid-lane picks such as Kled and Nautilus.
It came to many as a surprise when the player decided to step down in 2022. Fortunately for his fans, it seem like nothing can keep doinb down for long. Not even a planned retirement.
On December 30, Doinb revealed during a livestream that he was ending his hiatus and returning to pro LoL, beginning with the 2025 LPL season.
The South Korean player told fans in a recent livestream that he would be taking profile pictures for competition in the 2025 LPL season. He added that he would be returning as a player rather than as a coach, which some fans had initially wondered about. This would mark the end of a two-year break from professional League of Legends. His announcement marks a direct return to competition, rather than just looking to practice with a pro team.
doinb refused to answer the question of which team he would be joining and instructed fans to wait for an official announcement. However, rumors have been flying after Ninjas in Pyjamas wished the player a happy birthday on Weibo. If it’s true that he’s headed to NiP, Doinb would likely then be replacing sometimes-maligned mid laner Zhao “neny” Zhihao to retake his traditional position.
Some are skeptical of doinb’s return to League announcement. It’s not often that professional players can take extended breaks from the top level of the game and then be picked up again for competitive play. neny only joined NiP in mid-December 2024, which would make his tenure with the team rather short.
In the past, doinb has played for Qiao Gu Reapers, FunPlus Phoenix, and most recently LNG Esports – all potential options for a return to the game as well. With the LPL season just around the corner, fans will find out soon enough where and when they can expect to see doinb competing.
Despite a historically strong record, Doinb quit competitive League and chose to retire in 2022 while citing performance issues.
During the 2022 LPL season, his team LNG Esports opened strongly but ultimately ended up being dropped to the playoff’s lower bracket and then eliminated. LNG Esports announced they would be releasing doinb from his contract in November 2022. He said in a later December interview that he had lost confidence after his performances in both the 2021 and 2022 LoL seasons. He also added that he would need to find a team that could win, if he were to continue his playing career as a pro.
In the meantime, doinb has seemingly still kept busy. The player had said that he intended to spend 2023 watching LNG scrims and potentially others as well. He has attended numerous fan events while also welcoming his first child.
NiP has already been confirmed to be in Group D for the upcoming 2025 LPL Split 1 that will open in January. Whether or not doinb will be playing with NiP or another team is yet to be officially confirmed.
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