win.gg
Win.gg League of Legends Ex-SKT T1 champion Bang announces retirement from LoL esports

Ex-SKT T1 champion Bang announces retirement from LoL esports

Nicholas James
Nicholas James Published 06/12/2021
Google Preferred Source

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.

Nicholas James Nicholas James
About Nicholas James

Nicholas James is a gaming writer with a passion for all things geekdom, as well as live theater. Nicholas is best known for covering League of Legends and other top MOBA titles, but his expertise covers numerous games across multiple genres. When not watching the LCS or playing the latest new release, Nicholas can be found doing some tabletop gaming and painting his favorite miniatures. Nicholas has also published with Hotspawn, TheGamer, Dexerto, Esports.gg and other industry outlets.

View full profile
Read Also
Hanwha Life Esports vs LYON: Best betting odds and picks for MSI 2026 League of Legends
Hanwha Life Esports vs LYON: Best betting odds and picks for MSI 2026 Hannan Mundia The 2026 MSI lower bracket final will see Hanwha Life Esports take on LYON. Here’s our complete betting analysis and betting picks. After T1’s upset loss at the ongoing MSI tournament, G2 Esports was the next team to fall before reaching the lower bracket final. LYON looked extremely good against the LEC team, but does it have what it takes to take down arguably the strongest LCK team currently? Tournament: ...
G2 Esports proves that T1 has an over-reliance problem League of Legends
G2 Esports proves that T1 has an over-reliance problem Hannan Mundia The MSI match between G2 Esports and T1 proved that the LCK powerhouse needs to take a good look at its strategy. For years now, the LCK has been a dominant force in the competitive League of Legends space. While the LCP has occasionally come close to the number one spot, that hasn’t been the case for long. In particular, T1 is easily the biggest name in the scene, especially ...
Here’s the complete Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 schedule Esports Betting
Here’s the complete Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 schedule Hannan Mundia The Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 has finally arrived, and here’s the complete schedule for the event to ensure you don’t miss anything. While it isn’t exactly the newest name in the esports scene, the EWC has quickly become a leading event for esports fans worldwide. It brings together professional players and fans from various games, combining them into one long event that everyone can enjoy. 2026’s Esports World Cup ...
Team Secret Whales stun Top Esports as LCP finally breaks the East’s Bo5 wall Esports Betting
Team Secret Whales stun Top Esports as LCP finally breaks the East’s Bo5 wall Wasif Ahmed In the first massive upset of the tournament, Team Secret Whales beat Top Esports to kick them out of the lower bracket of MSI 2026. This is Asia-Pacific’s first ever Bo5 win against the East since the creation of the leagues in 2013. Now, only Bilibili Gaming is left for the LPL and the power rankings are all mixed up. TSW didn’t just beat TES, they completely outclassed them. Kicking ...
Karmine Corp is the third LEC team to go winless against major regions at MSI Esports Betting
Karmine Corp is the third LEC team to go winless against major regions at MSI Wasif Ahmed With their 0-3 defeat against Team Liquid, Karmine Corp is now the third LEC team to bomb out of the Mid-Season Invitational without taking a single game off of the top four regions. Before them were MAD Lions in 2023 and G2 Esports’ infamous debut run in 2016. NA, on the other hand, has only once gone winless against major regions. Karmine Corp's MSI 2026 run included taking down the ...
G2 Esports reverse sweeps Top Esports at MSI 2026 Esports Betting
G2 Esports reverse sweeps Top Esports at MSI 2026 Wasif Ahmed It starts with success, and Fnatic is now avenged. G2 Esports started the 2026 Mid-Season Invitational by beating Top Esports 3-2. After starting the series 0-2, they managed to pull off the first reverse sweep in main stage MSI history. The 2026 Mid-Season Invitational started with seven back-to-back 3-0 series. G2 finally broke that streak by beating TES in five games. In doing so, they also broke a much longer-standing ...
Why are ranged top laners so common in League of Legends? Esports Betting
Why are ranged top laners so common in League of Legends? Wasif Ahmed In League of Legends Season 2026, top lane has been filled with ranged champions. Outside of the usual few, marksmen and even control mages have found a new home in top. This change in meta is much to the displeasure of players who prefer facing tanks and bruisers. Why did ranged top laners become so frequent and how does one beat them? LoL has always had a few ranged characters ...