Jiizuke announces he will be teamless in 2022, and this is why

The conclusion of the 2021 competitive season has proven exceptionally challenging for established League of Legends professionals throughout Western regions. Veteran mid laner Daniele ‘Jiizuke’ di Mauro represents the most recent high-profile casualty in an offseason characterized by escalating financial pressures and organizational austerity measures.

Jiizuke’s recent announcement confirming his absence from the upcoming spring competitive period places him among a concerning trend of experienced players struggling to secure roster positions for the 2022 campaign. This pattern suggests fundamental shifts in how teams evaluate talent acquisition costs versus performance returns.

Originally emerging from the European competitive scene with Team Vitality, Jiizuke gained international recognition through his instrumental role in an impressive underdog performance during the World Championship tournament. His distinctive aggressive, self-sufficient mid lane approach, particularly on assassin champions like Ekko, established his reputation as a dynamic playmaker capable of single-handedly shifting game momentum.

While his initial transition to North America’s LCS presented adaptation challenges, his 2021 performance resurgence earned him first-team All-Pro honors, demonstrating significant skill refinement and strategic maturation. Despite these achievements and considerable respect from professional peers, Jiizuke finds himself organization-less as the 2022 season commences, highlighting the complex interplay between demonstrated ability and economic realities.

This offseason has prompted serious examination of whether continuously inflating professional player compensation and contract acquisition costs have created unsustainable economic conditions within League of Legends esports. The phenomenon of elite competitors remaining teamless suggests organizations are implementing more fiscally conservative approaches to roster construction.

Acquiring players with existing contracts often involves substantial buyout premiums that can double or triple acquisition expenses. Jiizuke’s commitment to maintaining competitive readiness through intensive training camps in Europe and Korea reflects a strategic approach to overcoming current market limitations while preserving future opportunities.

Supporters anticipating Jiizuke’s return to professional competition will likely need to wait until at minimum the summer segment of 2022, barring unforeseen roster reorganization creating earlier openings, most plausibly within the LEC circuit. Geographical distance eliminates him as an emergency solution for North American teams facing mid-split roster crises, making a post-spring split comeback the most viable scenario.

The current market conditions parallel challenges seen in other competitive gaming environments where balancing player value against organizational sustainability requires careful navigation. Teams must weigh immediate competitive advantages against long-term financial health, creating complex decision matrices for roster management.

No reproduction without permission：Game Guides Online » Jiizuke announces he will be teamless in 2022, and this is why Analyzing Jiizuke's unexpected LCS absence and the esports salary bubble impacting veteran players