The LPL winter transfer window has ended. Looking at the personnel adjustments of the strong LPL teams, WBG and BLG have both been greatly reinforced. After Viper’s addition, the bottom lane’s safety net has been substantially enhanced. Without a remote-controlled jungler to guard the bot lane, BLG’s strategies for next year are expected to be more diverse. ELK’s personal skill surpasses Light’s by a level, so with him joining Weibo, the bottom lane’s damage output should no longer be a worry.

JDG holds the highest budget, yet the final roster they assembled still leaves their strength uncertain. Whether CFO’s jungle-mid duo can perform impressively in the LPL remains unknown. However, with Gazi as backup, they likely won’t perform terribly. AL retains their original lineup, securing a top-three strength guarantee. As for IG, they truly hit rock bottom: a new Korean top laner on the second team, a bottom lane AD who underperforms, and only the mid-jungle-support have barely passable skill.

The strength of the new top laner will only be clear after the Demacia Cup. Photic has played for many years; when ahead, he shows attitude, but when behind, he disappears. If he is made the team’s core, his skill is insufficient. It’s precisely because of the AD’s poor performance that IG failed to form a competitive roster this transfer period. Recently, during a live stream, Doinb revealed that IG’s owner said TheShy was originally only going to skip the first stage.

But after the bottom lane players were confirmed, TheShy suddenly decided not to play at all. He did not renew his contract with IG, and since he wasn’t entered into the auction pool earlier, he was directly banned until the third stage, effectively retiring. The reason for not playing is simple: the roster isn’t good enough, or more specifically, the AD is weak. If IG can make it to Worlds this year, Gazi is the real carry, but Photic’s skill doesn’t even compare to a single finger of Gazi’s, completely unable to cover.

If IG hopes for the mid-top-jungle trio to carry the team to victory, there’s really no hope. Everyone has seen TheShy’s form this year—very inconsistent, only occasionally able to carry. In most games, as long as he doesn’t die, he’s already helping his teammates. However, whenever he plays, the pace fluctuates greatly. Some extreme fans ignore the idol’s actual performance and will always criticize TheShy’s teammates regardless of how well he plays.

So not playing isn’t necessarily bad for TheShy personally. But IG’s management is really blowing it. They had a chance to sign ELK but missed out because they cared too much about public opinion. The player Huxi, who wanted to join IG, chose to rest due to the weak bottom lane. Also, Coach Daeny’s departure is surely because TheShy isn’t playing; otherwise, given their relationship, he would have stayed.

If TheShy truly wanted to play, he could have renewed with IG and stayed on the roster, similar to Meiko and Tian, returning to the stage when the time is right. Choosing not to renew and actively violating transfer rules is like giving himself a graceful exit. If he doesn’t play next year, his chances of returning will only diminish, since age causes competitive decline to accelerate.

The rule about being banned for not entering the auction pool during the transfer window is actually easy to avoid. But TheShy didn’t choose that path. His desire to retire is one reason, but the main cause is the weak roster. If the AD were ELK, TheShy would probably play another year. Currently, IG’s lineup is similar to when Rookie was in NIP—at best making playoffs, but Worlds qualification is out of the question.

Conclusion:

It’s indeed a pity that TheShy won’t continue playing. Without White’s matches to watch, no one can find fault with Black, and the fun people have disappeared. This really makes LPL fans uncomfortable. The key point is that the brother isn’t playing the first stage either. The old IG players’ haters seem to have only Rookie left to criticize. However, TheShy is expected to start streaming later and might even do some match commentary.

So what do you think is the reason TheShy isn’t playing?

Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments!