Movistar KOI has re-signed Canadian mid laner Joseph Joon ‘Jojopyun’ Pyun for the 2027 LEC season, according to Insider Gaming. The extension keeps Jojopyun in EMEA for another year rather than sending him back to North America, and it removes one of the biggest question marks hanging over MKOI’s roster before the club even boards the plane for Worlds.
The timing matters. MKOI just wrapped its LEC campaign in second place, falling to G2 Esports in the Grand Final and settling for the second seed out of the region. That result capped a season that saw the team claw back into the top four against long odds, and it’s the backdrop against which this retention decision was made.
Jojopyun himself won’t stick around EMEA for long right now. He returns to his home continent next month for the 2026 League of Legends World Championship, where MKOI has already locked in a Swiss Stage berth. Movistar KOI’s English account confirmed the deal on September 22 with a short ‘Jojopyun 2027’ post, and the club said there was still history to be written while thanking Movistar for helping retain him.
Why MKOI Couldn’t Wait Until After Worlds
MKOI co-owner Ibai Llanos explained on stream that the club had to move early precisely because Worlds falls so late this year. The tournament begins October 15, with the Swiss Stage MKOI already qualified for not kicking off until October 23 – a schedule that, in Ibai’s words, usually wrecks a team’s offseason if roster questions are still unresolved heading in.
Ibai said MKOI gave Jojopyun an ultimatum before the LEC finals in Nice, requiring him to decide his future after Nice, and pointed to Team Heretics as proof the market wasn’t waiting around – the org had already lined up a new mid laner before LEC Summer had even finished.
Ibai also confirmed MKOI is sticking with head coach Tomás ‘Melzhet’ Campelos Fernández, which rules out any move for Dylan Falco, the coach G2 surprisingly dropped earlier this year in favor of Luka ‘Perkz’ Perković. That leaves toplaner Alex ‘Myrwn’ Pastor Villarejo and AD carry David ‘Supa’ Martínez García as the remaining pieces of the current lineup with contracts expiring later this year.
One Piece Down, Two to Go
Locking down Jojopyun is one of MKOI’s first confirmed moves for its 2027 roster, but it’s far from the last decision the club has to make. Myrwn and Supa’s futures remain open questions, and nothing in MKOI’s current messaging suggests either renewal is imminent.
For now, the club’s attention shifts to Worlds. Jojopyun will suit up for MKOI on North American soil when the tournament opens October 15, with the Swiss Stage proper starting October 23 – and whatever happens there, the mid lane seat for 2027 is already spoken for.
