Ex-SKT T1 champion Bang announces retirement from LoL esports

Bae “Bang” Jun-sik, one of the most decorated players in League of Legends esports, has announced his retirement.

With two World Championships, two Mid Season Invitational titles, and four LCK playoff wins, few players will ever be able to compare to Bang. The veteran marksman player was a crucial part of T1’s resurgence on the international stage and spent time in North America in 2020 before returning to Korea in 2021.

Bang’s retirement means League of Legends losing one of its longest-tenured professional players.

Why is Bang retiring?

Bang appeared on the professional scene in 2013 on Najin Shield, the sister team to Najin Sword. He then spent a split of Champions on Xenics Blast before finding his way to the team that would cement his legacy as one of League of Legends’ titans.

Bang played 659 professional games over the course of his career, winning 61% of his games during that time. He first skyrocketed to success in the era of the classic Korean League of Legends, traditional compositions that choke enemies out on vision around objectives and slowly constrict them out of the game.

Bang was, in many ways, the quintessential AD carry of the age. A consistent, mechanically gifted player who turned stable laning into small advantages that snowballed into the mid-game, becoming a monstrous source of damage.

His most-played champion was Ezreal, followed by Sivir, and Ashe. These are exactly the sort of AD carries that Bang made his name on, consistent damage dealers with a touch of utility on the side. Bang functioned best as the reliable threat augmenting the ever-looming presence of Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok.

He was a part of the 2015 and 2016 World Championship roster, and placed second in the 2017 Worlds finals. During this era, the only marksman who could compare to Bang was Jian “Uzi” Zihao.

Bang’s later years involved time in North America on 100 Thieves, and Evil Geniuses, but neither let him find anything close to what he achieved during his time on T1. Bang announced his retirement today on social media, thanking fans for their support over the years and looking optimistically to the future. Bang’s legacy in League of Legends is well-secured, and he can rest easy as one of greatest names to touch the world’s largest esport.