On Apr. 20, DWG KIA announced the return of Jang “Nuguri” Ha-gwon.

Nuguri initially left the team after winning the World Championships in 2020, where he went to the LPL to join FunPlus Phoenix. Nuguri then went on a sabbatical at the end of 2021 and will now return to DWG KIA ahead of the 2022 LCK Summer Split.

In the short introduction video by DWG KIA, Nuguri stated, “It’s been a year and a half since I left DWG KIA, so it feels good to be back.” He also commented on why he returned and what he’s been up to during his break. “I actually promised my friend that if I really can’t find something I want to do by the end of the Spring Split, I’ll return to pro play. During my break, I still played LoL, watched the LCK, and played other games as well. Towards the end of the Spring Split, I felt the desire to play League of Legends once again, so I decided to make my return.”

“The reason why I decided to return to DWG KIA was that the players and the coaching staff I worked with previously were all on the same team. I think I missed Canyon the most. I returned to the environment where I felt I could get used to everything the most easily. I hope to improve both in and outside the game. I’ll strive to become the best of the best, to the point where I want my plays to feel artistic."

One of DWG KIA’s main weaknesses this past Spring Split was widely considered to be in their top lane. With Nuguri returning to pro play and rejoining his former team, it’ll be curious to watch if they’ll return to their past form of their glory days.