Ryu returns to the LCS with 100 Thieves Academy

He's reprising his role in the mid-lane.

Having spent the LCS Spring Split as a member of 100 Thieves’ coaching staff, former mid-laner Ryu “Ryu” Sang-wook is now set to return to the Summoner’s Rift with 100 Thieves Academy.

100 Thieves announced the news via its social media channels, and it’s clear the organisation is more than happy to have him reprise his role.

”We’re excited to share that Ryu will be returning to the rift this Summer Split as the starting mid-laner for our LoL Academy team.

He was a rock for our team in 2018 and we’re thrilled to see him play again!”

Ryu has a storied history in League of Legends, having first emerged as a mid-lane talent in Korea all the way back in Season 2, and even shifted to a jungling position a couple of years later.

Towards the end of the 2014 Season, Ryu made his way over to the EU LCS (as it was known at the time) and played under H2K as their mid-laner. This turned out to be one of his most successful stints in the LCS, as the European side pulled off some stunning sweeps to reach the semi-finals of the World Championships in 2016.

Eventually Ryu moved over to the NA LCS as 100 Thieves’ mid-laner, and during his time on the squad he helped them reach their first LCS final and World Championship appearance.

As time went by, Ryu’s performance gradually faded and he decided to step down from competitive play altogether. After six straight years of play, it was time for a break.

It’s nice to see Ryu back in action as he’s an extremely talented player and we can only hope his addition to the 100 Thieves Academy roster is a sign that he’s regained his desire for competitive League.

However, Ryu’s move from the coaching team may just be a stop-gap until the 100 Thieves Academy can find another mid-lane talent to fill the role. There’s no way of knowing for certain, but either way, welcome back Ryu.

Thanks for the heads up dotesports.