Unlike traditional sports, the transfer fees and salary requirements of League of Legends players are often not publicly disclosed. Therefore, the figures we mention are usually just rumors.
Here is a list of 7 LCK players predicted to have the highest income as of now.
Deft (total prize money: 366,463 USD)
When the transfer season just began, marksman Deft was expected to return to the LPL region. Rumors spread widely as his former team in this region offered a huge price to invite the Korean marksman back.
However, Deft gave up that ‘golden’ contract to fulfill his promise. Specifically, he joined the DragonX team because they signed a contract with coach cvMax.
Unfortunately, cvMax was indefinitely suspended by Riot Games due to suspicions of violence against members of the Griffin team. Upon hearing the news, Deft was so shocked that he stopped his livestream.
Cuzz (total prize money: 120,202 USD)
Although he was just a “stand-in” for Clid at T1 in 2019, Cuzz is still a promising name. Photo: Dotesports.
After a failed negotiation with player Clid, SKT T1 quickly signed a contract with Cuzz, the former jungler of DragonX. For him, this was an excellent deal that he couldn’t refuse.
Cuzz, whose real name is Moon Woo-chan, was born on October 30, 1999, in South Korea. This 20-year-old talent is known as one of the top junglers in South Korea.
BDD (total prize money: 131,343 USD)
It can be said that Gen.G is the team with the most significant roster changes this transfer season. Besides the bottom lane duo, they changed all other members. After successfully acquiring Clid in negotiations with SKT T1, Gen.G also brought in two other members, Rascal and BDD. Despite many changes in personnel, Gen.G was able to quickly finalize their roster.
Competing professionally in the mid-lane position, Bdd has always been the center of attention after his outstanding debut. Moreover, he was regarded as the core of the former KT Rolster team. Furthermore, Bdd excelled in achieving the most solo kills in 2019.
Lehends (total prize money: 66,396 USD)
Lehends first entered the professional arena in August 2015, quickly attracting attention by supporting with unique champions like Elise and Singed. After joining the Griffin team in November 2017, Lehends quickly won the hearts of fans with impressive performances. It can be said that his peak period began when he joined Griffin.
After the contract scandal, the Griffin roster resigned en masse, opening up opportunities for Lehends to change. He quickly caught the eye of the Hanwha Life Esports team. Although quite quiet in recent tournaments, HLE still signed contracts with CuVee and Haru along with Lehends.
Kiin (total prize money: 67,263 USD)
Regarded as the heart of Afreeca Freecs, Kim “Kiin” Gi-in is currently the best top-laner in the LCK region. After his debut, Kiin has always amazed everyone with his skilled play and incredible outplays.
When the transfer season began, Kiin was expected to be the standout name in the market. However, the CEO of Afreeca Freecs, Seo Su-gil, expressed hope to keep Kiin. Later, they successfully extended his contract for the next 3 years.
Clid (total prize money: 125,091 USD)
After an impressive debut in 2018, jungler Clid quickly became a bright star in the professional League of Legends scene. When transitioning from the LPL region to the LCK, although he didn’t have many Korean fans, he quickly attracted the attention of his peers.
Not long after, Clid signed a contract to join the SKT T1 team. Alongside Faker, they have repeatedly saved the team in critical moments. When the transfer season began, SKT T1 fans hoped they could renew his contract.
However, SKT failed in negotiations with Gen.G, resulting in them losing Clid. To retain him, Gen.G demanded a salary of up to 833,000 USD and additional bonuses if they win championships.
Faker (total prize money: 1,255,465 USD)
It is not surprising that the “demon king” Faker is the name at the top of this list. He has been with the SKT T1 team since the early days of his career. Moreover, Faker once declared that he would remain loyal to SKT T1 for the rest of his career.
According to SKT T1’s management, Mr. Oh Kyung-sik stated that Faker is the player with the highest salary in South Korea, even more than members of other sports such as football, basketball, and baseball. According to statistics from the South Korean government, Faker’s income reached 1.25 million USD in 3 years.