Two of League of Legends’s most popular veteran casters have announced their departure from casting the League of Legends Champions Korea. Earlier today, both Christopher “MonteCristo” Mykles and Erik “DoA” Lonnquist confirmed via Twitter that they would both be stepping away from casting the LCK and announced that an official statement will be posted soon.
It’s true. Tough decision to make, but it’s time to move on. @MonteCristo and I will have a video out soon! https://t.co/D02gMLeYGG
— erik lonnquist (@ggDoA) January 10, 2017
After 10 seasons, @ggDoA and I have chosen to stop casting LCK. It was a heart-wrenching decision and we will release a statement soon. https://t.co/5kR21eY8iA
— MonteCristo (@MonteCristo) January 10, 2017
As the most prominent casting duo in League of Legends, MonteCristo and DoA have casted the Korean Region since its inception back in 2012, spanning 10 seasons and hundreds of games. Alternate Korean-based casters Seth “Achilles” King and casting veteran Chris “Papasmithy” Smith, joined by another to-be-announced fresh-faced caster, will fill the roles of the departing premiere casters. This caster lineup is more than experienced enough to cover the LCK, but many fans feel Mykles’s and Lonnquist’s boots are simply too big to fill.
This season’s OGN #LCK broadcasts will be anchored by @AchiliosCasts, a new OGN hire to be announced soon and myself
— Chris Smith (@PapaSmithy) January 10, 2017
The duo is not without their controversy, however, and the departure is not entirely surprising considering the pair was not present to cast the League of Legends World finals last November. Montecristo did not receive an invite, as a result of heated discussion in which he engaged with Riot Games co-founder Marc “Tryndamere” Merrill in regards to player and caster salaries. Lonnquist himself later declined Riot’s invitation to shout cast at worlds, as he had “other projects in Korea” at the time — meaning the LCK’s top-tier casters were excluded from the biggest tournament of the year.
MonteCristo was also infamously caught up in a competitive ruling in May 2016 during his co-ownership of Renegades, who, at the time, had a spot in the NA LCS. Mykles was banned from owning any ownership or Riot-recognized position — including GM, team coach or team analyst –when Riot ruled he had broken team application process rules and team agreement rules. Montecristo claimed that all player forms and trading processes were done according to Riot’s sanctioned rules, believed he had been unfairly banned and was provided with “very little evidence” of his misconduct.
MonteCristo and DoA will continue their casting duo dynamic in 2017, casting Overwatch APEX season 2’s overseas broadcasting.