In a bold move, Invictus Gaming has revealed their plans for the 2026 League of Legends LPL season, unveiling a revamped roster that promises to shake up the competition. The team has introduced several new players and coaching changes, signaling a fresh start for the Chinese esports powerhouse.
New Faces and Coaching Changes
The team announced these changes via their official Weibo account, bringing in four fresh faces alongside a new coach. Notable signings include Korean top laner Lim ‘Soboro’ Seong-min, mid laner Zhang ‘Renard’ Xing-Che, ADC Ying ‘Photic’ Qi-Shen, and Sun ‘Jwei’ Jun-Wei. On the strategic side, Won ‘Mafa’ Sang-yeon steps up as head coach, while Lee ‘KaKAO’ Byung-kwon returns to the team as a coach a decade after his last competitive appearance.
For KaKAO, this marks a return to Invictus Gaming, 10 years after his last appearance on Invictus Gaming’s starting line-up as a jungler. Mafa, who served on the coaching staff in 2025, has been elevated to the head coach position following Yang ‘Daeny’ Dae-in’s transfer to rivals BiliBili Gaming.
Invictus Gaming’s Seven-man Roster?
This reorganization follows the announcement from Korean player Kang ‘TheShy’ Seung-lok of his temporary break from competitive play. Invictus filled the gap by recruiting Soboro from BNK FearX’s academy. Additionally, the departure of ADC Chen ‘GALA’ Wei to JD Gaming saw Photic step in, previously a part of LNG Esports.
Jwei arrives with a strong track record from FunPlus Phoenix, and Renard makes the leap to tier-one competition from Anyone’s Legend academy. Meanwhile, the Global Contract Database suggests Invictus Gaming has extended contracts for mid laner Song ‘Rookie’ Eun-jin, jungler Yan ‘Wei’ Yang-Wei, and support Tian ‘Meiko’ Ye, creating a roster of potentially seven players.
Looking Forward
Despite assembling a formidable lineup, the true competitive strength of Invictus Gaming will be determined by the starting five selected for each match. With TheShy’s absence, there might be opportunities for player rotation in mid and support roles, offering emerging talents a chance to shine early in the season.
Invictus Gaming is set to debut their new roster on December 15th at the Demacia Cup. Fans eagerly await the kick-off of the 2026 LPL Split 1, with its start date yet to be announced.