Choi ‘Zeus’ Woo-je has rejected an offer to extend his stay with Hanwha Life Esports (HLE), a report by Inven has revealed.
Without further negotiations between the player and the org, the two-time League of Legends Worlds winner would enter Free Agency in November.
Zeus and Hanwha Life Esports were eliminated in 9th-11th place at Worlds 2026 after losing 2-0 to BLG in the final round of the Swiss Stage of the competition.
Zeus reported set to explore Free Agency; Fans hope for T1 reunion
The South Korean publication noted that the former T1 Top-Laner had rejected an offer before the beginning of League of Legends Worlds 2026.
The report notes that Zeus has recently changed his player representation, now under the umbrella of a new agent, with negotiations happening after Zeus’ new agent was appointed.
The article notes that the player wishes to explore his value in the Free Agency market ahead of the 2027 season, with the Top Laner widely regarded as one of the best and most versatile players in his position in the LoL landscape.
The news has sparked online discussions regarding the potential destinations for Zeus next year, with some fans hoping for Zeus to reunite with his former teammates at T1.
Zeus’ career began as part of T1’s academy system, graduating from T1 Academy to the main roster alongside Mun ‘Oner’ Hyeon-jun, joining the main roster in November 2020 when T1 also signed Ryu ‘Keria’ Min-seok.
Zeus finished second at MSI 2022 and Worlds 2022 before going on to back-to-back Worlds trophies in 2023 and 2024, before leaving T1 in November 2024 and joining HLE.
As part of HLE, Zeus has continued to win international tournaments, winning First Stand 2025 and MSI 2026, but has failed to capture the same success at Worlds, with HLE suffering a disappointing Swiss Stage exit at Worlds 2026.
Regardless of fans’ hopes, a potential reunion with T1 has a few remaining hurdles to overcome. Firstly, Zeus is not currently in Free Agency, under contract until Worlds ends, giving HLE the exclusive right to come to an agreement with the player before that deadline.
The Inven report quotes a HLE representative, who states, “We are constantly in discussions with the players.” So as of now a renegiation is technically possible before Free Agency would become a factor.
Another hurdle may be the salary cap, which was further restricted in 2026, making it harder for LCK teams to retain star players in every position. With T1’s contracts for Lee ‘Faker’ Sang-hyeok, Oner, Keria, and Kim ‘Peyz’ Su-hwan already in place, how much can they accommodate Zeus’ salary demands?
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Darragh is an Esports Journalist for Insider Gaming specialising in Counter-Strike. He loves to explore how esports teams work, or why they very often do not.
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