After spending over five years with 100 Thieves’ League of Legends division, superstar top laner Kim “Ssumday” Chan-ho parted ways with the organization this past offseason to try his hand on a new roster with Evil Geniuses. After a single split, however, it looks like the talented veteran might be coming home.
The 26-year-old is reportedly returning to 100 Thieves’ starting lineup for the 2023 LCS Summer Split, according to esports journalist Brieuc Seeger. An agreement has reportedly been reached already, making Ssumday the first roster move for a team looking to break into the championship picture once again.
Ssumday would be replacing the Thieves’ current top laner and longtime prospect Milan “Tenacity” Oleksij. The 20-year-old finally got his chance on the LCS stage this past season after spending two years in the team’s developmental system. But during the 2023 Spring Split, he was placed on a weakside role with players like Bjergsen and Doublelift taking more of the resources and jungle attention.
Related: 100 Thieves reportedly dips into LCK prospect pool for Bjergsen replacement ahead of LCS 2023 Summer
During his time in the Academy scene, Tenacity was known more as a carry player with experience on champions like Fiora, Kayle, Aatrox, and Gwen. As a result, the young up-and-comer was placed in a role he wasn’t necessarily comfortable playing in, and he struggled to adapt. In a similar vein, the Thieves also struggled to live up to expectations as they finished the regular season with a 10-8 record. In the playoffs, they ended up losing back-to-back series against FlyQuest and Golden Guardians.
Ssumday, on the other hand, couldn’t find the same level of consistency on EG as he had with 100 Thieves. Although the team had plenty of talent and firepower, EG could not build up any momentum through the season, and their lack of consistency was apparent when they were swept by Golden Guardians in the second round of the postseason.
The 100 Thieves Hall of Fame inductee will reportedly be joining a roster that could be going through a retool, especially with Bjergsen announcing his surprising retirement after the end of the season. Ssumday will need to work with Closer and Doublelift on some new tactics as they aim for a Worlds spot this October.
