Former MAD Lions jungler Shad0w reportedly joining LGD Gaming
Former MAD Lions jungler Zhiqiang “Shad0w” Zhao is looking at a potential comeback to the professional scene, as he is reportedly joining LGD Gaming in the LPL.
After taking a break in the most recent spring split, the young jungler might be making his debut in the top Chinese competition. Shad0w has Chinese residency, which means that he can join the league without taking up an import slot. After Shad0w has played his whole career in Europe for teams including MAD Lions and mousesports, it seems that he is now making a big move to become the first pro player to play in both the LEC and LPL.
The rumors started on the Chinese site Weibo, saying that an official announcement from LGD was expected soon. The Chinese organization is one of the biggest in League of Legends and has a long track record in the LPL. The last time LGD won an LPL title was back in 2015, with names such as Lee “Flame” Ho-jong and Gu “Imp” Seung-bin on the team.
Since then, LGD has had some shaky performances but has continued trying to reach the top of the LPL. The 2021 LPL Spring Split resulted in a horrible 4-12 record for LGD, placing the team far away from playoff contention. With the summer split coming right up, it’s no surprise that the team is looking to bring in new firepower.
What happened to Shad0w?
Shad0w took a break after a poor performance at the 2020 World Championship, and it’s hard to predict how well Shad0w will be playing now. In the LEC with MAD Lions, he was performing well and looked like one of the best rookies. Unfortunately, his performance at Worlds wasn’t as impressive and this led to him leaving the team.
In the LEC, Shad0w was a jungler who took initiative in the early game and showcased great performances on mechanical junglers such as Lee Sin and Nidalee. This will likely be valuable for LGD, as the LPL revolves a lot around aggressive play and early-game advantages. In the right light, Shad0w could be the guy to enable the rest of the LGD roster.
While nothing is official yet, it’s expected that Shad0w will be announced as the LGD jungler soon. The 2021 LPL Summer Split kicks off in June.
Read Also
Esports Betting
The Best LCS Summer Split Week 7 Odds: Upsets On The Horizon?
Ben Boland
The LoL betting world is in for a treat this weekend as the LCS Summer Split regular season enters its final week. Everything is to play for, from the battle for first place to who starts life in the upper bracket. Esports betting sites are unsurprisingly covering the games extensively, and here my tips to bet on for each LCS match this weekend. This is a series that could go ...
League of Legends
LEC Playoffs Round 1 Betting Tips: G2 vs Vitality & Karmine Corp vs GIANTX
Ben Boland
The 2026 LEC Summer Playoffs are finally here in the world of LoL betting. After weeks of regular-season action, the battle to get to Worlds 2026 is heating up. Team Vitality, G2 Esports, GiantX, and Karmine Corp start their playoff run in the upper bracket. Both sets of matches have a lot of betting potential, with some decent value to be found. Here are some of the best bets to ...
League of Legends
Caps Hall of Legends skins prices and dates revealed
Hannan Mundia
Caps is the latest League of Legends player to be inducted into the Hall of Legends, and the LEC player’s dedicated skins have been revealed, including their prices and release dates. The Hall of Legends is Riot Games’ way to honor a handful of the most well-known and celebrated professional players associated with LoL. The first inductee was naturally Faker, while the second was Uzi. The third player is Caps, ...
League of Legends
Five Support Champions To Pick Up in LoL Patch 26.17
Ben Boland
The support meta in League of Legends is one of the most highly discussed roles in the game right now. With Riot doubling down on the roaming support playstyle, we will likely see more champions added to the pool around the time of Worlds 2026, which begins on 15 October. At the time of writing this article, the current patch, 26.17, is being tested on the PBE, with the launch ...
League of Legends
These Are Five Top Lane Champions To Pick Up in League of Legends Patch 26.17
Ben Boland
League of Legends patch 26.17 is just around the corner, and with that patch comes more changes to the role. The days of ADCs in the lane are starting to be a thing of the past, with more bruisers hitting the gym before the launch of 26.17. Many top laners are receiving buffs on the new patch, while powerhouses such as Nasus and Vayne are on the chopping block, making ...
League of Legends
Here Is What To Expect From the League of Legends Patch 26.17
Ben Boland
It’s less than a week until the release of League of Legends Patch 26.17, and with this patch comes some significant nerfs to popular champions, item adjustments, and targeting roaming supports as mage bottom lanes dominate the meta. While there is plenty to unpack in this week's patch from Riot Games, two champions, Vayne and Xerath, have received the biggest nerfs across the board. Here are some of the biggest ...
League of Legends
Trade on LGD vs Bilibili Gaming at Polymarket — Use Promo Code WINGGPREMAR
Ben Boland
Bilibili Gaming comes into their best-of-three series against LGD Gaming as the overwhelming favorites, with Polymarket traders giving the MSI finalists an 83% implied probability of winning at the time of writing this article. The prediction market doesn’t give LGD much of a chance at all, and with traders backing BLG heavily, it paints a picture of who is most likely to win this series in the LPL Split 3, ...
