2022 world champion Deft (Kim Hyuk-kyu) is returning to the LCK with Nongshim RedForce. The AD carry finishes his military service on November 18 and will play for the club in the 2027 season. A Nongshim representative confirmed to Korean press that the contract is signed, but the team has not made an official announcement yet.
What we know:
- insiders first reported Deft's move to Nongshim on October 10, and on October 23 a club representative confirmed the signing to Korean media;
- several LCK teams, including Kiwoom DRX, were interested in Deft, but he chose Nongshim;
- the length and terms of the contract have not been disclosed;
- Deft enlisted in May 2025, and his last season was with KT Rolster in 2024;
- he kept playing ranked during his service and was in Challenger on the Korean server as of October.
Nongshim is expected to announce the signing once his service is over. Most LCK contracts also expire on November 16–17, and teams will start revealing new players only after that. See who else is entering the market in our LCK free agents 2027 roundup.
Who Deft replaces:
Nongshim's 2026 season did not go to plan. Mid-season the team sent AD carry Taeyoon to BNK FEARX for Diable, but finished the Rise group 10–16 and lost to BNK FEARX in the play-in. With Deft arriving, Diable no longer has a starting spot, and according to Korean media he is looking for a new team.
Deft's career:
- 2013 — debut with MVP Blue, then Samsung Blue;
- 2015 — MSI title with Edward Gaming;
- 2017–2024 — KT Rolster, DRX, Hanwha Life Esports, Dplus KIA and KT Rolster again;
- 2022 — world champion with DRX: the team entered the event as the fourth seed and beat T1 3–2 in the final;
- 2025 — enlisted for military service.
Deft returns to the LCK almost two years after his last match. The market opens right after the Worlds 2026 final between Gen.G and BLG, and his move will be one of the first big announcements.
League of Legends news on Esport.Vision
Transfers, patches and LoL tournaments — on Esport.Vision.
Comments