Earlier this week, an article was published alleging the retirement of League of Legends player Song “Smeb” Kyung-ho . Smeb was until recently the KT Rolster top lane player, but his contract with the team expired in November 2019. On Dec. 14, Smeb made an announcement on his live broadcast that these rumors were false and that he will not be retiring yet.
The announcement live stream
Some of the key points discussed during the live stream were his considerations of retirement. While Smeb did consider retirement, he doesn’t think it is time yet. He is currently 25 years old, which is quite a lot older than many of the other players in the current professional scene. However, he believes he can continue to perform for another two-to-three years before he wants to move on to other things. For now, he plans on taking a break during the Spring Split of 2020, so he can return stronger and refreshed for the Summer Split later next year.
Smeb’s legacy in League of Legends
Smeb’s time with the game goes all the way back to March of 2013, when he joined his first League of Legends team, Incredible Miracle 1. Throughout his years in the semi-professional scene, until the start of Champions Korea, he practiced endlessly. For the 2015 season, Smeb managed to join the new team of the HUYA Tigers, alongside several players that have since become some of Korea’s greatest. The team consisted of Kang “GorillA” Beom-hyun, Lee “Hojin” Ho-jin, Lee “Kuro” Seo-haeng, Kim “PraY” Jong-in, and Smeb himself. All but Hojin have since continued their pro careers and are currently competing on some of the best teams in the world.
After his time with the Tigers, through various rebrands, he joined the League of Legends roster of KT Rolster, where he had been since November 2016. Smeb has been a part of the team’s victory of the LCK 2018 Summer Split & playoffs. In addition, Smeb was a key part of the team’s 2018 world championship run, where they managed to reach the top 8 of the tournament.
For more news surrounding the competitive scene of League of Legends, consider reading about the roster changes surrounding the roster of Royal Never Give Up.