A strategic guide to TSM’s 2022 roster options, analyzing available talent pools and providing actionable roster-building insights
Introduction: TSM’s Offseason Challenges
TSM stands as one of the final LCS organizations without a fully confirmed or reliably rumored lineup for the upcoming competitive season. With the majority of teams having solidified their 2022 rosters, what strategic pathways remain available for this historic North American franchise?
The offseason has presented significant challenges for TSM following their failure to qualify for Worlds 2021.
Missing the World Championship triggered substantial organizational turbulence for this iconic North American institution.
Internal conflicts emerged between veteran player Yiliang ‘Doublelift’ Peng and TSM founder Andy ‘Reginald’ Dinh. The organization also experienced the departure of longtime player and 2021 head coach Soren ‘Bjergsen’ Bjerg, a move that reportedly influenced president Leena Xu’s exit.
Regarding their League of Legends competitive roster, three starting positions have been vacated – mid laner Tristan ‘PowerOfEvil’ Schrage, AD carry Lawrence ‘Lost’ Hui, and support specialist Hu ‘SwordArT’ Shuo-Chieh.
What core roster elements remain for TSM? What recruitment strategies can they realistically pursue to address their positional gaps?
TSM currently possesses three confirmed starters for their 2022 LCS campaign:
Current Roster Foundation: Analyzing Huni, Spica, and Tactical
Two-time Worlds semifinalist Huni joined the organization preceding the 2021 competitive season. 2021 LCS Summer MVP Spica transitioned from TSM Academy before the 2020 Summer Split. Former academy prospect Tactical represented TSM’s initial free agency acquisition in 2021, returning to the organization following two competitive years with Team Liquid.
This core trio establishes a competitive foundation that should maintain TSM’s status among North America’s elite organizations. Spica consistently ranks among the region’s premier junglers, while Huni provides both mechanical skill and extensive international experience in the top lane. Tactical may not represent the absolute pinnacle of AD carry talent, but he has demonstrated consistent competency and reliability in the bottom lane.
However, mid lane and support positions remain critically vacant. As free agency progresses toward its later stages, available talent becomes increasingly scarce. What recruitment avenues can TSM realistically explore at this juncture?
T1 LoL Worlds 2024 skins: Champions, prices, splash arts & more
Team Liquid dominate LTA 2025 Playoffs: Schedule, recap, teams & more
T1 LoL finally explain why Gumayusi was benched for Smash
LCK Talent Pool: Evaluating Korean Mid and Support Options
Before free agency commenced on November 15, analyst Travis Gafford disclosed potential TSM roster configurations that suggested the organization might pursue two LCK starters – mid laner Yoo ‘FATE’ Su-hyeok and support specialist Kim ‘Life’ Jeong-min. Neither recruitment materialized, with FATE joining Afreeca Freecs and Life signing with KT Rolster.
The LCK has served as a primary recruitment source during this offseason for both LEC and LCS organizations. Rogue is reportedly signing Damwon Gaming substitute jungler Kim ‘Malrang’ Geun-seong, while Cloud9 secured the services of Park ‘Summit’ Woo-tae.
The fundamental challenge: The LCK transfer market has experienced intense activity, with numerous organizations executing roster moves during free agency’s second week. Consequently, only three mid laners who started during the 2021 LCK Summer split remain available according to current information:
While Heo ‘ShowMaker’ Su technically represents a free agent, he is overwhelmingly expected to renew his contract with DWG KIA.
Among the remaining three available players, one name warrants particular attention. Fly, who competed with Afreeca Freecs during 2021, possesses North American competitive experience. He claimed the 2017 Summer split of NA Challengers with Gold Coin United before joining FlyQuest for the 2018 LCS Spring split. However, previous NA experience does not guarantee renewed interest in returning to the region.
The LCK support market presents even greater limitations, with only one 2021 starting support remaining available – Cho ‘BeryL’ Geon-hee.
Unless TSM wishes to emulate Cloud9’s strategy of recruiting from Korea’s lower competitive tiers, the primary window for LCK acquisitions may have already closed.
LPL Recruitment Possibilities: Navigating the Chinese Market
The LPL represents an existing professional league and therefore constitutes a potential talent source for TSM’s recruitment efforts.
However, various rumor accounts and Chinese industry insiders have associated numerous Chinese competitors with potential TSM moves, creating significant uncertainty regarding credible information. FPX Blaze support Wei ‘Shenyi’ Zi-Jie appeared strongly linked to TSM until he publicly denied these rumors during a streaming session. The current environment suggests that virtually every LPL player rumored to be leaving their organization becomes immediately connected to TSM by speculative community discourse. This extensive list includes, but is not limited to:
From an internal perspective, the most significant offseason advantage organizations like T1 & TSM possess (beyond substantial financial resources) involves their association with virtually every trade rumor, making genuine intentions exceptionally difficult to ascertain. Numerous individuals continuously inquire about their planned roster movements.
— Gen.G Arnold (@arnoldwh) November 20, 2021
Should TSM successfully recruit players from China’s competitive system, the outcome would be genuinely positive for the organization. However, the current situation involves considerable speculation without substantive confirmation.
Academy Promotion Prospects: Assessing Takeover and Yursan
TSM maintains a mid laner and support within their academy system who could potentially ascend to the LCS roster if external recruitment proves unsuccessful. Support specialist Wang ‘Yursan’ Sheng-Yu spent the entire 2021 competitive season with the academy team following his transfer from Alpha Esports of the PCS. Mid laner Ji ‘Takeover’ Cha Hyeun-min joined before the 2021 academy summer split after initiating his professional career in Latin American competition.
Both players would necessitate import slot allocation, though TSM possesses the roster flexibility to accommodate such requirements.
The fundamental limitation: TSM Academy failed to achieve competitive success during 2021. The team secured seventh-place finishes in both academy season splits, significantly trailing organizations like 100 Thieves, whose academy graduates have secured multiple LCS starting positions. Realistically, TSM does not occupy the same developmental position as 100 Thieves or Evil Geniuses, organizations with academy players demonstrably prepared for LCS transitions.
While TSM could evaluate talent from other LCS academy systems, optimal timing may have passed as anticipated player movements have likely concluded. Although TSM’s starting roster contains sufficient experience to partially offset the risks associated with multiple rookie promotions, such an approach still creates competitive disadvantages the organization would prefer to avoid in their pursuit of Worlds 2022 qualification.
NA Free Agent Market: Domestic Talent Analysis
Substantial free agent availability exists among players recently competing in the LCS, particularly within the mid lane position. Approximately half of LCS organizations have acquired new mid laners and/or supports for 2022, indicating considerable available talent for TSM’s consideration.
The core evaluation challenge: Available talent does not automatically equate to desirable acquisitions. Eugene ‘Pobelter’ Park and Tanner ‘Damonte’ Damonte were both released by a CLG organization that finished last in the LCS Summer standings. Daniele ‘Jiizuke’ Mauro was replaced in favor of an academy prospect.
Furthermore, even if specific talent could enhance TSM’s competitive progression, acquisition certainty remains questionable. The offseason’s most prominent mid lane narrative involves Nicolaj ‘Jensen’ Jensen, who disclosed his attempted formation of a superteam with Doublelift and suggested he might not compete in the LCS during 2022.
While TSM has been associated with potential recruitment of Evil Geniuses support Lee ‘IgNar’ Dong-geun, alongside possible acquisition of benched G2 support Mihael ‘Mikyx’ Mehle, mid lane questions persist without clear resolution.
Strategic Decision Framework: Making the Right Choices
2022 represents a potentially transformative or disastrous competitive season for TSM. While their existing roster core demonstrates considerable talent, two vacant positions generate significant uncertainty for an organization competing in North America’s premier league.
The organization confronts a classic catch-22 scenario. They can expedite decision-making to ensure roster completion while accepting associated consequences, or they can maintain methodical evaluation processes while risking missed opportunities as viable options diminish.
The community may experience extended anticipation before TSM reveals their 2022 strategic direction. However, one reality remains undeniable: temporal constraints increasingly disadvantage their position.
Practical Roster-Building Strategy: Successful esports roster construction requires balancing immediate competitive needs with long-term organizational development. Teams often make the mistake of overvaluing available talent simply because it’s accessible, rather than evaluating how players fit specific strategic systems.
Common Evaluation Pitfalls: Organizations frequently underestimate communication compatibility, playstyle alignment, and personality integration when assessing potential recruits. The most successful roster moves consider how new players will interact with existing team dynamics, not just individual mechanical skill.
Advanced Optimization Approach: Elite organizations conduct multi-dimensional player evaluations assessing mechanical proficiency, strategic understanding, communication effectiveness, adaptability under pressure, and growth potential. This comprehensive approach often yields better long-term results than focusing solely on immediate statistical performance.
No reproduction without permission：SeeYouSoon Game Club » What options are available to TSM before 2022 LCS kicks off? A strategic guide to TSM's 2022 roster options, analyzing available talent pools and providing actionable roster-building insights