League of Legends – Canna Departs T1 Due to Contract Dispute

It is safe to say that it has been a turbulent month for T1. The organization has now announced the departure of Kim “Canna” Chang-don, with the League of Legends pro having only extended his contract with the team 12 months ago. Based on an official statement from T1, the South Korean will now “continue his pro-gamer career on a different team”.

The two parties went their separate ways following a brief contract dispute, with the 21-year-old having been due to negotiate his salary ahead of the new season. Having been an important part of the T1 lineup for most of the year, however his two-year deal was cancelled early, thanks to a verbal agreement with the recently deceased ex-T1 COO, John Kim.

Why Canna Was Allowed to Leave as a Free Agent

The pair had agreed that should T1 and Canna be unable to come to an agreement in terms of salary, the experienced top laner would be allowed to depart as a free agent. While it had been hoped that Canna would stick around for the 2022 season, the South Korean star was seemingly set on leaving, having handed in a transfer request “at least three times” in 2021.

It was for this reason that T1 agreed to go their separate ways with Canna. However, the top laner’s agent has recently stated that such transfer requests were a “communication error”, which he believed contributed to his client being unfairly treated by the leading eSports organization.

Speaking on the incident, T1 general manager, Choi “Polt” Seong-hun, stated the following in a press release: “According to the agency, they said that we would release Canna as a free agent if we didn’t come to a settlement regarding his salary, but the original term was a mutual agreement. If we weren’t to have a mutual agreement, the organization has the authority to decide and execute. While I haven’t heard the full details, I want to let everyone know that one of the teams that we’re in talks about Canna’s transfer has offered the best options for him.”

What the Future Holds for Canna

It did not take Canna long to find a new home, with the veteran pro having joined Nongshim Red Force, who previously competed under the banner of Team Dynamics. Having been at T1 since May 2019, a change of scenery may well do Canna good, having arguably not been at his best during the Worlds 2021, when OG finished 3rd-4th, after being eliminated by DWG Kia.