Korean League of Legends team, Liiv SANDBOX, are set to freshen up its roster for the 2022 season. As reported, Liiv SANDBOX will sign T1’s former mid laner Lee “Clozer” Ju-hyeon.
Clozer Leaves T1
As revealed by reputable sources, T1 will part ways with mid laner Clozer, who is set to join another LoL Champions Korea (LCK) team, Liiv SANDBOX. The news surfaced on Saturday, November 13, unveiling Clozer’s departure from the organization he was a part of since his debut in the esports scene.
Clozer started his esports career with SK Telecom T1 in May 2019, where he remained for seven months before he got moved to T1 Academy in December 2019. The 18-year-old mid laner was a part of T1 Academy for nearly six months and was promoted to T1’s main roster in May 2020 as a substitute.
After spending one month on the bench, waiting for his chance to shine, Clozer got promoted to the main lineup in July 2020 and was a part of the regular rotation for ten months. Over that stretch, Clozer played with T1 on-and-off, serving as a replacement for Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok while the team was trying to figure out their starting five.
Unfortunately, T1 eventually decided to continue with Faker, and placed Clozer back on the bench, where he has remained ever since.
Although a talented player, the departure of Clozer isn’t entirely shocking. He was last seen competing with T1 in March 2021, meaning he was out of action for over eight months.
However, considering the talent that he has showcased during his relatively short stint as T1 starter, it makes no sense for Clozer to remain benched.
A Fresh Start for Liiv SANDBOX
Currently, most roster moves news are nothing more than speculations since the teams can’t sign players until the market opens. However, it’s becoming evident that Liiv SANDBOX will look to start fresh in 2022.
On Saturday, Liiv SANDBOX announced the departure of substitute jungler Kim “OnFleek” Jang-gyeom and top laner Park “Summit” Woo-tae. The duo is expected to be replaced by Kim “Croco” Dong-beom and Jeon “Howling” Ho-bin, respectively.
While the team has yet to reveal further roster changes, its support, Lee “Effort” Sang-ho, ADC Lee “Prince” Chae-hwan, and mid laner Yoo “FATE” Su-hyeok all seem to be on their way out. All three will have their contracts run out on Monday, November 15, without any announcements of a possible extension.
With that, it’s highly likely we will see some major changes in Liiv SANDBOX’s roster for the 2022 LCK season.
The major roster overhaul would make a lot of sense for Liiv SANDBOX, considering the team’s disappointing finish of the 2021 season. SANDBOX started the year with an eighth-place finish in the LCK 2021 Spring and improved in the summer split, placing fifth.
With that, SANDBOX earned a spot in the LCK 2021 Summer Playoffs, where they crashed out in the first round against T1. In their last attempt to qualify for the 2021 LoL World Championship, Liiv SANDBOX entered LCK 2021 Regional Finals but again suffered an early elimination in the first round, against Hanwha Life Esports.
Hoping to achieve more in the 2022 season, Liiv SANDBOX will likely want to add a few new faces to its lineup. However, it remains to be seen who that might be.
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