The phrase “loyalty” is one which will get overused lots, nevertheless it’s hardly ever really seen in such high-level aggressive environments like skilled League of Legends. Most of the sport’s greatest gamers have moved to completely different groups no less than as soon as throughout their careers.
Whereas Faker has caught with T1 for a number of years, a a lot lesser-known participant within the LPL has additionally continued to carry out at a excessive stage beneath his unique group. Tian “Meiko” Ye has at present performed 774 video games within the LPL over his now eight-year profession, all of which have been with Edward Gaming.
The loyal help for EDG caught with the workforce regardless of lacking Worlds in 2019 and 2020 after poor finishes regionally and failing to make it out of teams at 2017 Worlds. It definitely helped that Meiko has additionally felt the push of the very best highs in League, having captured regional, MSI, and Worlds titles with EDG as effectively. The nice, the unhealthy, the ugly, and the world championship title–Meiko has seen all of it within the black and white colours of EDG.
Enjoying almost 800 video games in over eight years’ time as a help participant inside one workforce means Meiko has had a number of duos within the bot lane throughout his profession. Eight completely different AD carry gamers have teamed up with Meiko over the previous eight years to type an EDG bot lane. Proper off the bat, about half of Meiko’s video games with EDG got here with a present world champion AD carry. Meiko and Viper have been the bot lane to convey the 2021 World Championship again to the LPL with EDG, however he additionally performed 185 video games with Deft to kick off his professional profession from 2015 to 2016.
IBoy is a reputation that a number of League followers might need forgotten about. He performed AD carry for EDG from 2017 to 2019 a interval of turbulence for the group. That is the place Meiko and the workforce have been in a position to have a number of success regionally, particularly in 2017-18, solely to falter within the worldwide stage. Hope almost totaled 100 video games with Meiko and the duo performed an enormous function in EDG successful LPL Summer season Break up 2022, which catapulted EDG from Worlds hopeful to a secured spot in New York Metropolis. Now, Hope is an integral cog in Crew WE’s roster.
Whereas Meiko could not maintain the file for {most professional} League video games performed (which is at present held by Faker), he has constantly carried out in one of many hardest areas for eight years. Add within the true loyalty issue with Meiko staying with EDG by way of all their roster swaps and low factors, and Meiko deserves all of the reward.
Regardless of one other low season of roster swaps with solely JieJie remaining from final 12 months’s squad, Meiko remains to be balling out within the LPL with EDG, holding down second place with a 5-1 file within the younger cut up. When Meiko lastly decides to hold it up, he’ll go down as probably the most profitable and longest-tenured EDG participant of all-time, a file that will by no means be damaged within the historical past of the org.
