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TSM will have to play their remaining 2022 LCS Summer games without Heo “Huni” Seung-hoon. Recent reports have revealed that the top laner has chosen to step down from competitive play due to recurring wrist injuries.
The announcement was made by TSM FTX Report, the “official hub of all TSM live coverage”. The release said that the decision was Huni’s, and the team is willing to support him in any way.
“Due to recurring wrist injuries, @Huni has decided to step down from the starting top lane position. He will stay on TSM FTX while he continues to evaluate his future. We will support him in whichever path he chooses going forward.”
With Huni unable to play, the veteran has been given a coaching role, pending when he makes a permanent decision. Although his ability to play has been hampered, the organization is still interested in having him around, as he could benefit the team by sharing his knowledge.
Alex “Soul” Luo has been promoted from their academy to fill in for Huni. The Canadian will likely stay with the main roster until the end of the summer split before a permanent replacement is announced.
Huni is one of the greatest LoL players, and he has proven it time and time again. He has helped several teams to title-winning runs, gathering individual accolades alongside.
The South Korean started his career in 2015 with Fnatic and led them to several noteworthy victories. His rookie season was sensational, as he helped Fnatic win the EU LCS Spring and Summer splits. They also claimed a third-place finish in the Mid-Season Invitational.
Huni’s contributions also helped the team reach the 2015 LoL World Championship. Unfortunately, they were eliminated in the quarterfinals after losing 3-0 to KOO Tigers.
The top laner had an incredible spell with Korea’s SK Telecom T1 in 2017 before returning to the LCS. As part of T1, he won the LCK Spring and Mid-Season Invitational. However, they finished second in both the summer split and the 2017 World Championship.
Huni has played for TSM since 2020, and it has not exactly been a successful run. Nonetheless, he remains one of the most prominent top laners in the region, and LoL in its entirety.
TSM are having a horrid run in the LCS Summer and are at risk of missing the playoffs. They have played seven games so far and managed only two victories against Team Liquid and bottom-placed Immortals.
TSM will play their first game without Huni against Cloud9 on July 16. C9 are the heavy favorites across several betting platforms with a win odd of $1.40.
There is still a lot of action left in the group stage, enough for TSM to secure a playoff berth. Although they are currently ranked ninth with a 2-5 record, a top-eight finish will guarantee them a spot in the playoffs.
A top-three finish in the playoffs will see TSM compete in the World Championship once again. The last time they participated in the event was in 2020 when they got knocked out in the group stage without winning a single game.
Last year, C9 denied them a spot in the World Championship. A 3-2 loss to C9 in the 2021 LCS Championship Losers’ Round 3 was the decider.
