Team Liquid has announced that Yuuji will replace UmTi in the team’s starting roster just an hour before the team’s next LTA North match, but does that mean UmTi has been benched?
The stakes are through the roof as the LTA progresses. While the cash prize for the top four teams is excellent, most teams aim for the number-one spot to qualify for the Mid-Season Invitational and compete against some of the strongest teams worldwide.
While Team Liquid has been in a shaky state of late, few players have faced nearly as much criticism as the team’s jungler Eom “UmTi” Seong-hyeon. In a surprising move, Team Liquid announced that Ganbat “Yuuji” Ulziidelger would debut as the team’s new jungler against Shopify Rebellion in the LTA play-in round.
Yuuji started the series against Shopify Rebellion in the LTA North play-in match as the team’s jungler.
The announcement that Yuuji joined Team Liquid as the team’s sixth man was made on May 6, 2025. Mongolian League of Legends player Yuuji is a reigning NACL champion and has been in the competitive scene since 2021, when he participated in the HUE Invitational 2021. His rise to fame is primarily thanks to his time playing in FlyQuest’s academy team.
We Signed a Rookie Jungler | Welcome Yuuji!
TL was apparently assessing new players for the mid and jungler roles shortly after the conclusion of First Stand. UmTi’s performance in the ongoing LTA season made many assume a roster change was in order, but the consensus was it would likely happen in the current split. Having Yuuji participate in such an important match that will determine Liquid’s starting position in the playoffs suggests one of two things: Either the team is extremely confident in Yuuji as a jungler, or it wants the player to get valuable experience on the big stage to set him up for a more active role in the future.
It wouldn’t be surprising if the former is true, as Yuuji’s first game for Team Liquid against Shopify Rebellion was an overwhelming victory. Yuuji’s Pantheon had a two-level lead six minutes into the match, and the enemy jungler was overwhelmed by the aggressive playing style.
There’s no confirmation that UmTi has been benched permanently, suggesting the team will continue with the six-man roster.
Having someone replace a starting player in the roster doesn’t necessarily mean the replaced player is benched. A prime example is when T1’s Gumayusi was swapped for Smash during the LCK, with both players temporarily alternating between matches. There’s a real chance Team Liquid may do the same thing, especially considering the official Liquid X account posted a video of UmTi and Yuuji together.
While the play-in match was important, the stakes weren’t too high. Team Liquid has earned a spot in the playoffs regardless of how the match went, and having Yuuji debut during a match in which elimination isn’t on the line can help the player familiarize himself with the team and the big stage of the LTA.
21+ and present in VA. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
