KT Rolster star Smeb latest LoL pro to announce retirement

Another member of the original ROX Tigers lineup has called it quits as a professional gamer. This time, it’s top laner Song “Smeb” Kyung-ho.

Smeb ended his career after seven years. He started with Incredible Miracle 2  in 2013 and slowly climbed his way up through the ranks in Korea, before ending up on HUYA Tigers. The team would later be rebranded as ROX Tigers. Smeb ended his career after three years on KT Rolster, a team which he managed to win the 2018 LCK Summer Split and KeSPA Cup 2017. 

In a Twitlonger, Smeb expressed his gratitude to his former colleagues, fans, and Riot Games for making his career amazing. Smeb also explained how his career has brought him a lot of happiness and how he always pursued both small and big goals. 

“My biggest and sincerest goal that made me who I am right now and helped me reach my goals was to make my fans happy,” Smeb said. 

Throughout his long career, Smeb has won two LCK trophies and been to Worlds three times. His biggest accomplishment on the international stage was at the 2015 World Championship where he reached the final with KOO Tigers. The team lost to SKT in the finals, but the Tigers still managed to secure tons of new fans in their run. 

Besides the trophies, Smeb has also achieved a lot on an individual basis. During his time on ROX Tigers and later on KT Rolster, Smeb was considered one of the best top laners in the world. He is known for his carry champions in the top lane such as Fiora and Riven, making him one of the first top laners to really drive his team to victory. Smeb will start the next chapter of his career where, he will focus on his personal stream. 

What happened to Smeb?

After over seven years as a professional player, Smeb has retired. He will look to continue streaming and only time will tell what happens after that. Smeb was considered one of the absolute best top laners in the world during his prime and is the latest legend to retire in the 2021 preseason. Smeb ended his career on KT Rolster, where he has played for over three years. 

How old is Smeb?

Smeb is 25 years old. Several players from his generation have already hung up their mouse and keyboard, which is what Smeb will also be doing now. Playing for over seven years as a professional at a high level is rarely seen and it looks like Smeb makes his retirement at the right time. 

Who played for the Rox Tigers?

Smeb was a part of the legendary Rox Tigers squad back in 2016. Together with his teammates, they dominated the LCK and were considered one of the best teams in the world at the time. 

The Rox Tigers lineup was: 

Top – Song “Smeb” Kyung-ho

Jungle – Han “Peanut” Wang-ho

Mid – Lee “Kuro” Seo-haeng

Bot – Kim “PraY” Jong-in

Support – Kang “GorillA” Beom-hyun

Out of the five starting players, only Peanut remains as an active professional player in 2021. The rest of the squad has retired.