Invictus Gaming denies TheShy transfer, threatens legal action

Chinese esports organization Invictus Gaming denied rumors on Monday that the team’s that top laner Kang “TheShy” Seung-lok would be leaving the League of Legends team, stating that the rumors surrounding his departure have been “maliciously fabricated” and threatened to take legal action.

The organization spoke of the rumors in depth on its official Weibo, stating that the rumors surrounding League of Legends player's departure have “affected the players’ reputation in a negative way,” Invictus Gaming also stated that the organization would be taking “legal action to those that have personally attack the player.” TheShy has officially denied all rumors of him leaving and stated that he plans to stay with Invictus through the end of his current contract.

The rumors of TheShy’s departure probably came as a bit of a surprise to not only the organization, but fans of Invictus, as well, as TheShy has previously stated his love for the team as one of the reasons he initially joined and even passed on asking the organization for a pay increase to remain with the team.

After joining Invictus in 2017, TheShy helped the team with the LoL World Championship in 2018 while also being considered one of the most valuable players in the league. Rumors, however, circulated online gaming communities after the 2019 Worlds that TheShy had considered transferring to a different team despite a drop in his overall performance, leading to scrutiny of the player.

Invictus ended their statement by concluding, “All official news during the FA season will be coming from the team directly, so we ask the people to not believe in such nonsensical rumors.” While it’s interesting to see a team consider taking legal action against internet rumors, a case can be made that the rumors could have an impact on the organization’s overall value, regardless of the validity of the rumors. TheShy intends on remaining with Invictus through the conclusion of his contract with the team, which expires at the end of the 2020 season.