Excel Esports said goodbye to its mid laner today.

Mickey has departed from the League of Legends team and will be returning home to Korea with teammate Expect, the organization announced today.

Excel had another disappointing season in the LEC, placing seventh with a 7-11 record. The team struggled to find an identity over the course of the split, despite the leadership of head coach Youngbuck. 

“Our LEC team finished in 7th place during the Spring Split 2020, which was an improvement on both splits last year, but ultimately we fell short of reaching our goal to make playoffs,” Youngbuck said. “We have reviewed the situation internally and feel that to be confident in reaching that goal in the Summer Split 2020, a change is necessary.”

Although the team failed to live up to expectations and advance to the Spring playoffs, Mickey was arguably the best player on the team. He had one of the largest champion pools in the league and his mechanics were on point. But Mickey and jungler Caedrel weren’t on the same page. The pair neglected to communicate and work together as a cohesive unit. 

It’s unclear where the move will lead Mickey next. He could return to Korea and join the Challengers league, remain in Europe, or even head back to North America. As for Excel, the team will likely look closer to home and recruit rookie talent. But importing players certainly isn’t out of the question.

The 2020 LEC Summer Split is set to begin on May 22.

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