2020 World Championship finalist Hu "SwordArt" Shuo-Chieh has joined Team SoloMid in what is reported to be the biggest deal in League of Legends Championship Series (LCS) history. The Taiwanese support player has joined the North American squad on a two-year contract worth $6 million, The Washington Post reported yesterday.

The salary, reported to be $3 million for each of the two years, is likely to be the largest in LCS history, and the largest among any North American esports team. The 23-year-old and his Suning teammates had an impressive run in the 2020 League of Legends World Championship, upsetting domestic rivals JD Gaming and tournament favorites Top Esports on their way to the Grand Final.

SwordArt now makes his way to North America to play under the TSM banner. TSM is undergoing a roster revamp after losing mid laner Søren “Bjergsen” Bjerg and AD carry Yiliang “Doublelift” Peng to retirement. SwordArt will take on the support role for the 2021 LCS season.

TSM founder Andy “Reginald” Dinh believes the $6 million deal will be “a really small investment a decade down the road.” Instead of focusing on dollar amounts, Reginald wants to build a legacy. “My investment thesis is that teams that win build dollars down the road … teams that create a legacy and a large fan base and consistency of winning. It just makes sense for TSM to spend these dollars to recruit players.”

SwordArt will debut for TSM in the 2021 LCS season, which is expected to begin early next year.

Source: TSM/The Washington Post

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