Crown announces return to South Korea after poor LCS performance
“Goodbye!”
That was the last thing Min-ho “Crown” Lee tweeted before getting on a plane and leaving North America after a poor performance with Counter Logic Gaming.
“Hello, I’m Crown. I’m going back to Korea today after being removed from CLG. Thank you all for anyone who cheered for me at LCS and at home. NA life has been long and short but I’m thankful for good and various memories and experience. Sorry for my bad performance at the end,” Crown
tweeted
last night.
This sentiment was met with a lot of kind words from the League of Legends community. The LCS’ official account sent a few hearts and crowns his way. A Monday Night League host thanked him for his time spent in Los Angeles. Niship “Dhokla” Dosi, TSM’s backup top laner, sent a tearful goodbye. 100 Thieve’s VP of esports, Jacob Toft-Andersen, told him that he hopes everything works out well. Dignitas Academy support Joo-sung “Olleh” Kim told Crown to be safe.
“I’ll miss you,” Olleh added with a frowning face.
Crown had obviously made quite an impression on the pros and professionals in the LCS, but he unfortunately didn’t leave as positive of an impact on CLG during the first half of the Spring Split. The veteran had one of the worst KDAs of any mid laner in the LCS by the time he was dropped from the roster, leaving CLG in 10th place.
The South Korean player had once been viewed as one of the smartest signings in the LCS going into the season. Unfortunately, his sensitive and quiet nature didn’t seem to blend well with CLG and his performance continued to suffer. While CLG still has a long way to go if they want to make playoffs, things are looking a bit more promising with domesitc mid laner Eugene “Pobelter” Park taking over the role.
Crown was made a free agent soon after, but now it seems he has decided to leave North America entirely. It’s not clear what his exact reason is, but it’s possible he is hoping to have better luck on a team in the LCK, since he had more impressive results with Gen.G and Samsung Galaxy in Korea.He could also be planning to spend time with his family, since South Korea was hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.
Olivia Richman
About Olivia Richman
Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.
View full profile
Read Also
Esports Betting
BLG vs T1: Best betting odds and picks for MSI 2026
Hannan Mundia
BLG and T1 are among the favorites to win the 2026 MSI tournament, which is why so many fans are anticipating their match in the bracket stage’s first round. After BLG’s performance at last year’s World Championship, those who haven’t kept up with the team’s performance may not expect much from it. However, with the LPL team’s revamped roster and strategic approach to League of Legends, there’s a good chance ...
Esports Betting
League of Legends Classic will be back in 2026, here’s what we know
Wasif Ahmed
Riot has announced that League Classic will come out in Season 3 of 2026, as a game mode. League Classic is “old League of Legends”, the ability to play the game on a specific patch from over a decade ago. How much information do we have? What is League Classic, when will League Classic release, and what patch will it be for? Ever wanted to rediscover the old version of ...
League of Legends
Karmine Corp vs Team Liquid: Best betting odds and picks for MSI 2026
Hannan Mundia
While both Karmine Corp and Team Liquid lost one series each, both teams will have another chance to continue in the 2026 MSI play-in stage to potentially qualify for the bracket stage. Both participating teams got swept by T1 in this MSI stage, bringing them to the third round. Team Liquid’s performance against Deep Cross Gaming was impressive, but does that really mean that it has what it takes to ...
Esports Betting
T1 exposes Karmine Corp with 3-0 win at League of Legends MSI 2026
Wasif Ahmed
T1 just beat Karmine Corp 3-0 in the play-in stage of the 2026 Mid-Season Invitational. More importantly, T1 turned KC’s strengths into weaknesses. The bot lane and teamfight prowess that shone in the LEC were no match this time. The match started with Karmine Corp picking a disrespectful draft, blind picking three immobile squishies. Right off the bat, a botched invade put their jungle and bot lane at a disadvantage. ...
Esports Betting
The top 12 best players at MSI 2026
Wasif Ahmed
The 2026 Mid-Season Invitational is mere days away, and it will see the best players in the world face off. The reward is a prize pool of $2,000,000 and extra slots at the upcoming World Championship. So, who are the top 12 best players at MSI 2026? As the most decorated player in recent NA history, Inspired is LYON’s star player. In one word, this jungler is smart. Inspired’s signature ...
League of Legends
KeSPA Cup returns in July 2026 exclusively on Disney+
Hannan Mundia
The KeSPA Cup is slated to return sooner than most expected, though its date and exclusive Disney+ partnership raises some questions. The KeSPA Cup is an annual tournament organized directly by the Korea e-Sports Association. While it doesn’t get nearly as much attention as Riot-organized leagues and events, LCK powerhouses still participate in it. 2025’s KeSPA Cup is still fairly fresh since it took place in December. This year’s tournament ...
Esports Betting
Best betting odds and picks for T1 vs Karmine Corp at MSI 2026
Hannan Mundia
This year’s MSI is still ongoing, and the next match in the play-in stage is slated to pit T1 against the LEC’s Karmine Corp. Both participating teams absolutely destroyed their respective opponents in this stage’s first round. With two 3-0 scores, both Karmine Corp and T1 have established themselves as powerhouses. However, the level of opposition was clearly different, and that fact may show its face in this match. Tournament: ...
