After numerous rumors circulating for several days, JDG Esports have secured a major new midlaner to kick off their next chapter in the LPL: Lee "Scout" Ye-chan. After an impressive year in the LPL in 2024 but a rather abrupt end at Worlds, the Korean midlaner joins a rebuilding project that looks incredibly promising on paper.

With this move, JDG Esports bids farewell to their captain, Zeng "Yagao" Qi, whose departure had been anticipated following a lackluster season. Yagao will remain an iconic figure in the club's history, having played for six years and achieved significant success thanks to his standout performances in the LPL and at Worlds.

World Champion incoming

The prodigy Scout departs LNG Esports after two years of loyal service, during which he led the team to the upper echelons of the LPL and reached the quarterfinals in both of the last two Worlds. Feeling the end of a two-year cycle, with Chen "GALA" Wei and Fu "Hang" Minghang also leaving the team, Scout sought a new and promising project, which he has now found by signing with JDG. At 26 years old, the midlaner is a high-profile addition. Having arrived in the LPL in 2016 after briefly serving as Faker’s substitute at SKT T1 in 2015/2016, Scout joined EDG, where he spent an impressive seven consecutive years.

During those years, he played alongside Tian "Meiko" Ye, another iconic figure of the team, and together they claimed two LPL titles (Summer 2016 and Summer 2017). A veteran of major events, Scout has participated in Worlds seven times, reaching at least the quarterfinals on six occasions and even claiming the title in the glorious year of 2021 alongside Park "Viper" Do-hyeon. That year, they defied all odds, toppling the reigning champions Damwon Gaming, thanks in no small part to Scout’s incredible performances. His standout moment came in Game 5 of the grand finals with a brilliant display on Zoe, which earned him the Finals MVP award.

The player has never lost his clutch factor, even at LNG. In 2023, he was named LPL MVP for both splits and played a key role in securing the team's qualification again in 2024. Although his start to the year was challenging, his synergy with GALA worked wonders — whenever one struggled, the other stepped up. However, by Summer, Scout made a remarkable recovery, which helped salvage his statistics. With an average score of 64/100 on Sheep Stats, Scout still managed to rank as the 5th best midlaner in the LPL according to our rating.

JDG are almost complete

With the arrival of Kim "Peyz" Su-hwan officially announced yesterday on the organization’s social media, Scout's addition to the roster further reinforces JDG's serious ambitions. With his status as a World Champion and a world-class player, it’s clear that the goal is to surpass their 2024 performance, secure qualification for the 2025 Worlds, and perhaps even put an end to BiliBili Gaming's reign over the LPL.

With these two new carries joining the lineup, along with Hu "Ale" Jia-Le in the top lane and Lou "MISSING" Yun-Feng remaining as support, only the jungler position remains to be finalized for the roster to be officially complete. One name stands out more than the rest, and while nothing can be confirmed yet, it’s evident that Scout joined this project because he believes in the roster’s potential to aim for first place.

JDG Esports 2025 roster:

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