FENNEL Shakespeare becomes first LJL woman pro

Nicholas James Published 17/06/2023

The professional League of Legends scene has had a new piece of history cemented, with support player FENNEL Shakespeare being the first woman to play in the LJL.

The LJL is the official Riot-supported Japanese circuit for League of Legends. This week, one player for the Japanese team FENNEL made history. Miyu “Shakespeare” Otomo served as the substitute support for FENNEL’s primary support Ian “Corporal” Pearse. After a 2-0 victory, Japan’s first woman pro player is undefeated.

FENNEL Shakespeare makes history

League of Legends has slowly become more accessible to women who want to play at the highest level. Ideally, this is a sign of the scene’s growth. North America had professional player Maria “Remilia” Creveling, and top-tier organizations like G2 Esports are fielding women-only rosters such as G2 Hel. Shakespeare isn’t a newcomer to FENNEL, becoming part of its sister team after her previous squad was acquired by FENNEL.

Shakespeare played Yuumi and Lulu, leading to a total series score of 3/1/22. This KDA would be an impressive display from a support in any major region. Shakespeare’s debut is one of the few examples League of Legends has of a woman signed to a developmental roster being allowed the opportunity to play at the highest level. Her success will hopefully continue to pave the way for other women, with mixed-gender rosters being one ultimate goal.

Shakespeare may not end up as FENNEL’s primary support despite her win, as first-string player Corporal is a veteran talent in his own right. Many fans are excited about a woman making it to a Worlds-qualifying region, but that’s a long journey. FENNEL is far from guaranteed a slot at the end-of-the-year international tournament, Shakespeare less so. Nonetheless, her debut on the LJL and LoL Esports stage is an important moment in League of Legends esports.

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

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: ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...