1. Early life
Heo Seung-hoon was born on December 25, 1997, in South Korea. Details about his early life and background are limited, but he was exposed to the professional League of Legends scene early on, beginning his journey as a practice partner for the Samsung organization before his official debut.
q=South Korea|position=right
2. Professional playing career
Huni's professional career as a top laner spanned several years and continents, marked by his aggressive playstyle and notable successes with various high-profile teams across European, North American, and Korean leagues.
2.1. Early career and European LCS (2015)
Huni began his official professional career on January 8, 2015, when he joined the European organization Fnatic as their starting top laner. The team's roster included Reignover, Febiven, Steelback, and YellOwStaR, with YellOwStaR being the only returning player from the previous lineup. Despite low expectations for the newly formed team of relatively unknown players, Fnatic showcased strong performances throughout the 2015 EU LCS Spring Split, finishing second in the regular season with a 13-5 record. Huni's individual contributions earned him the 'Outstanding Rookie of the Split' award for the EU LCS. In the playoffs, Fnatic, with Huni as a key player, secured first place by defeating Unicorns of Love in a close 3-2 series, marking his first championship title.
Following their Spring Split victory, Huni and Fnatic advanced to the Mid-Season Invitational (MSI), where they demonstrated competitive strength, reaching the semi-finals before falling to Korea's SK Telecom T1 in another tight 2-3 series. Returning for the 2015 Summer Split of the EU LCS, Huni and Fnatic made history by becoming the first team in LCS history to complete an entirely undefeated regular season, achieving an 18-0 record. Their undefeated streak was eventually broken by Origen in the finals of the EU LCS, but Fnatic still emerged victorious with a 3-2 series win. Later that year, Huni competed with Fnatic at the 2015 League of Legends World Championship. Drawn into Group B alongside ahq e-Sports Club, Cloud9, and Invictus Gaming, Fnatic advanced to the quarter-finals as the first-place team from their group. They swiftly defeated China's Edward Gaming 3-0 in the quarter-finals, but their World Championship run concluded in the semi-finals with a 0-3 loss to Korea's KOO Tigers. After the season, Huni was selected to participate in the All-Star event.
2.2. North American LCS debut (2016)
For the 2016 season, Huni and his teammate Reignover sought salary increases from Fnatic. When their requests were declined, they decided to move to North America, joining the newly formed Immortals roster. The team featured veteran players WildTurtle, Pobelter, and Adrian. Immortals finished third in both the Spring and Summer Splits of the North American LCS. Despite their strong regular-season performances, the team struggled in the playoffs and the regional gauntlet. Huni's individual performance showed some inconsistency, and the team ultimately failed to qualify for the 2016 World Championship, losing to Cloud9 in the regional gauntlet. Huni's performance in the Worlds qualifier, particularly against Impact, was highlighted as a contributing factor to the team's elimination.
2.3. SK Telecom T1 (2017)
On December 1, 2016, Huni joined SK Telecom T1, the reigning World Champions, completing their 2017 roster. In the 2017 LCK Spring Split, Huni successfully competed for the starting top laner position against Profit and played a pivotal role in SKT T1's championship victory. He further contributed to the team's triumph at the 2017 Mid-Season Invitational (MSI), securing another international title. However, in the LCK Summer Split, Huni experienced a decline in form, partly attributed to issues with synergy with jungler Peanut. As the season progressed, Untara increasingly took over the starting top laner role. Huni still participated as a starter in Rift Rivals 2017, contributing to LCK's runner-up finish in the tournament. For the 2017 League of Legends World Championship, Huni was re-established as the team's primary top laner. He delivered strong performances throughout the tournament, helping SKT T1 reach the finals, where they ultimately finished as runners-up.
2.4. Second stint in North American LCS (2018-2022)
Huni returned to the North American LCS for a second time, playing for multiple teams between 2018 and 2022 before his eventual retirement.
2.4.1. Echo Fox (2018)
Huni joined Echo Fox on December 8, 2017, for the 2018 season. In the Spring Split, his team tied for first place in the regular season, and Huni earned 'All-Pro' honors for his dominant individual performance. However, Echo Fox was defeated by the eventual champions, Team Liquid, in the semifinals of the playoffs, though they secured third place by winning the consolation match against Clutch Gaming. In the Summer Split, the team's performance declined, and they were eliminated in the quarterfinals by Team SoloMid. Echo Fox also lost to Team SoloMid in the regional qualifier, preventing Huni from participating in the 2018 World Championship. Huni's performance at Rift Rivals 2018 was also noted as unsatisfactory.
2.4.2. Clutch Gaming and Dignitas (2019-2020)
On November 27, 2018, Huni signed with Clutch Gaming. The team struggled in the Spring Split of 2019, missing the playoffs entirely. However, they mounted a strong comeback in the Summer Split, reaching the quarterfinals where they notably defeated Team SoloMid before losing to Team Liquid in the semi-finals. Huni and Clutch Gaming then won three consecutive games in the regional gauntlet to secure the final North American spot at the 2019 League of Legends World Championship. After the season concluded, Clutch Gaming rebranded as Dignitas, and Huni reportedly agreed to a two-year contract extension worth 2.30 M USD. This made him one of the highest-paid players in LCS history at the time. Despite the significant investment, the team's performance in the 2019 World Championship was disappointing, as they were eliminated in the group stage. In the 2020 Spring Split, Huni initially showed decent form but his performance deteriorated later in the season.
2.4.3. Evil Geniuses (2020)
Midway through the 2020 season, on May 29, 2020, Huni transferred to Evil Geniuses. During the Summer Split, he delivered a stable performance, contributing to the team's qualification for the playoffs. This period also saw him reunite with his former SKT T1 teammate, Bang.
2.4.4. Team SoloMid (2021-2022)
Huni joined Team SoloMid on November 30, 2020, for the 2021 season. He had a strong showing in the Spring Split, earning a spot on the All-Pro Third Team. His good form continued into the Summer Split, where he again contributed to TSM's playoff qualification and was once more named to the All-Pro Third Team. However, TSM's playoff run ended with a disappointing performance, and Huni's individual play in the playoffs was cited as a factor in the team's elimination. His final professional playing year concluded with TSM, and on August 2022, Huni announced his retirement from professional League of Legends due to recurring wrist problems.
3. Retirement and post-retirement activities
Following his extensive professional playing career, Huni transitioned into new roles within the esports industry, leveraging his experience and insights.
3.1. Retirement as a player
Huni formally announced his retirement from professional League of Legends in August 2022. The primary reason cited for his decision to step away from competitive play was persistent and recurring wrist problems, which hindered his ability to perform at the highest level.
3.2. Coaching and analyst activities
Immediately after retiring as a player, Huni briefly joined Team SoloMid as a coach. However, his coaching tenure was short-lived, as the team was eliminated from all ongoing competitions within two weeks, leading to his departure from the coaching role. In 2023, Huni joined the commentary team for LCK, providing live analysis and commentary for the league's broadcasts. For the 2024 season, he transitioned to the LCK Global Analysis Desk, continuing his role as an insightful analyst for international audiences.
4. Team affiliations
Huni was officially affiliated with the following esports teams throughout his professional playing career:
| Team | Affiliation Period | League |
|---|---|---|
| Fnatic | 2015-01-08 - 2015-11-15 | LEC |
| Immortals | 2015-12-09 - 2016-12-02 | LCS |
| SK Telecom T1 | 2016-12-02 - 2017-11-24 | LCK |
| Echo Fox | 2017-12-08 - 2018-11-27 | LCS |
| Clutch Gaming (rebranded as Dignitas) | 2018-11-27 - 2020-04-27 | LCS |
| Evil Geniuses | 2020-05-29 - 2020-11-30 | LCS |
| Team SoloMid | 2020-11-30 - 2022-07-21 | LCS |
5. Tournament results and awards
Huni's professional career included numerous significant tournament results and individual accolades:
- 1st - 2015 Spring EU LCS (Fnatic)
- Awarded - 2015 Spring EU LCS Outstanding Rookie
- 3rd-4th - 2015 Mid-Season Invitational (Fnatic)
- 1st - 2015 Summer EU LCS (Fnatic)
- 3rd-4th - 2015 League of Legends World Championship (Fnatic)
- 3rd - 2016 NA LCS Spring (Immortals)
- 2nd - 2016 NA LCS Summer regular season (Immortals)
- 3rd - 2016 NA LCS Summer playoffs (Immortals)
- 1st - 2017 LCK Spring Split (SKT T1)
- 1st - 2017 LCK Spring Playoff (SKT T1)
- 1st - 2017 Mid-Season Invitational (SKT T1)
- 2nd - Rift Rivals 2017 (LCK representative)
- 4th - 2017 LCK Summer Split (SKT T1)
- 2nd - 2017 LCK Summer Playoff (SKT T1)
- 2nd - 2017 League of Legends World Championship (SKT T1)
- 3rd - 2018 NA LCS Spring Split (Echo Fox)
- 2nd - Rift Rivals 2018 (NA vs EU) (Echo Fox)
- 5th-6th - 2018 NA LCS Summer (Echo Fox)
- 3rd - NA LCS Regional Finals 2018 (Echo Fox)
- 9th - 2019 LCS Spring (Clutch Gaming)
- 4th - 2019 LCS Summer (Clutch Gaming)
- 1st - LCS Regional Finals 2019 (Clutch Gaming)
- Awarded - eSports Hall of Fame Heroes
6. Legacy and influence
Huni's legacy in League of Legends esports is defined by his distinctive aggressive playstyle, cross-regional success, and consistent presence at the sport's highest levels. As a pioneering figure, he demonstrated the viability and appeal of professional players moving between major competitive regions (Europe, North America, and Korea), contributing to the global nature of the esport. His tenure with Fnatic in 2015, including the historic undefeated 18-0 LCS regular season, showcased his ability to contribute to groundbreaking team achievements.
His critical role in SK Telecom T1's 2017 LCK Spring and MSI victories further cemented his status as a world-class top laner capable of performing under immense pressure and integrating into a championship-winning team. Despite later struggles with consistency and injuries that led to his retirement, Huni's career was marked by his impactful individual plays and adaptability to various team compositions. His contract with Dignitas, which made him one of the highest-paid players in LCS history, highlighted the growing financial professionalization of the esports industry. Post-retirement, his transition to an analyst and caster role demonstrates his continued commitment to the League of Legends community, sharing his deep game knowledge and unique perspective, thus maintaining his influence beyond competitive play. Huni's inclusion in the "eSports Hall of Fame Heroes" further acknowledges his significant and lasting impact on the sport.