Surprise!
Last night TSM released a video entitled “TSM MIDLANE ANNOUNCEMENT”, and many thought the time had arrived – Soren “Bjergsen” Bjerg would depart from the roster after countless years as their star League of Legends mid laner. Turns out we were all wrong.
In fact, Bjergsen has re-signed with TSM for two years and The Washington Post has confirmed he’s become a part owner of the team too.
Bjergsen’s tenure with the squad has been up in the air since TSM failed to reach the League of Legends World Championship for the second year in a row. They used to be a top three team in North America, often contesting the LCS title, but their showing in this year’s LCS was blighted by communication issues and lackluster play.
A need to rebuild the roster was clear to see, and many thought it was Bjergsen’s time to move on. He was once considered one of the best mid laners in the world, but his performances over the last couple of years suggest otherwise.
So, it comes as a surprise that Bjergsen’s extended his stay with TSM and delved even deeper into the organisation as a part owner. He explains this decision in his interview with The Washington Post, and says that it “felt like a natural progression” in his relationship with the org.
Bjergsen explains that it was TSM CEO and founder Andy “Reginald” Dinh who approached him to be a part owner first, and it wasn’t something he’d considered until recently. Following the decision, both parties had to work closely with Riot to set up rules and guidelines as “this move sets a precedent for other players to follow”.
Looking ahead to next year, TSM will likely build a team around Bjergsen to try and regain their position as the kings of the LCS. They’ll also be based in TSM’s state of the art training facility which is due to be complete by February.
However, it remains to be seen whether Bjergsen’s decision to stay with the organisation will lead to success from a competitive standpoint. Questions have to be raised on whether he’s still strong enough to compete against the best in the world. Although, from a business perspective, it’s a clever move. Even if he decides to step away from the team, he’ll likely move further into running things behind the scenes.
