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{{Short description|South Korean professional esports player (born 1991)}}
{{AFC submission|t||ts=20190507235958|u=Shaowiki|ns=118|demo=}}<!-- Important, do not remove this line before article has been created. -->
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{family name hatnote|Ryu||lang=Korean}}
{{lowercase title}}
{{Infobox video game player
| ID = ryujehong
| name = 류제홍
| name_trans = Ryu Je-hong
| image = Ryujehong in 2021.jpg
| caption = Ryu in 2021
| upright =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1991|09|05}}
| birth_place =
| nationality = South Korean
| team =
| role = [[Support (Overwatch)|Support]]
| league = [[Overwatch League]]
| game = ''[[Overwatch (video game)|Overwatch]]''
| career_start = 2010–2014, 2016
| career_end = 2020
| career_games = {{ubl|''[[Counter-Strike]]''|''[[Special Force II]]''|''[[Overwatch (video game)|Overwatch]]''}}
| career_number = 14
| team1 = '''''Counter-Strike'':'''
| years2 = 2010–2012
| team2 = Lunatic-Hai
| team3 = '''''Special Force 2'':'''
| years4 = 2012–2013
| team4 = STX SouL
| team5 = '''''Overwatch'':'''
| years6 = 2016–2017
| team6 = Lunatic-Hai
| years7 = [[2018 Seoul Dynasty season|2018]]–[[2019 Seoul Dynasty season|2019]]
| team7 = [[Seoul Dynasty]]
| years8 = [[2020 Vancouver Titans season|2020]]
| team8 = [[Vancouver Titans]]
| highlights =
* 2× [[Overwatch Apex|APEX]] champion
* 2× [[Overwatch World Cup|OWWC]] champion ([[2016 Overwatch World Cup|2016]], [[2017 Overwatch World Cup|2017]])
* 2× APEX Most Valuable Player
* 2× OWL All-Star ([[2018 Overwatch League All-Star Game|2018]], [[2019 Overwatch League All-Star Game|2019]])
* No. 14 retired by [[Seoul Dynasty]]
}}


'''Ryu Je-hong''' ({{Korean|hangul=류제홍}}, born September 5, 1991), better known mononymously as '''ryujehong''', is a South Korean former professional [[esports]] player, best known for his career as an ''[[Overwatch (video game)|Overwatch]]'' player. During his ''Overwatch'' career, he played for the [[Seoul Dynasty]] and [[Vancouver Titans]] in the [[Overwatch League]] (OWL), and prior to the OWL's inception, he played for Lunatic-Hai in [[Overwatch Apex]].
= Ryujehong =
{{Korean name|Ryu}}


Ryu began his esports career playing ''[[Counter-Strike]]'' for South Korean team Lunatic-Hai in 2010. He then transitioned to playing ''[[Special Force II]]'', where he won Special Force 2 Pro League Season 2 finals with team STX SouL in 2012. After the Special Force 2 Pro League shut down, Ryu left to complete his [[Conscription in South Korea|mandatory military service]] in 2014. After returning from his military service in 2016, Ryu joined Lunatic-Hai's ''Overwatch'' team and competed in Overwatch Apex. From 2016 to 2017, Ryu won two Apex titles, was named the Apex most valuable player twice, won two [[Overwatch World Cup]] titles with team South Korea, and was widely regarded as the world's best [[Ana (Overwatch)|Ana]] player. In late 2017, he joined the Seoul Dynasty for the inaugural season of the Overwatch League. He played with the Dynasty in the 2018 and 2019 seasons, being named an OWL All-Star in both, before signing with the Vancouver Titans ahead of the 2020 season. Four games into the 2020 season, he was released, along with the entire Titans roster.
{{Infobox eSports player
| ID = ryujehong
| name = Ryu Je-hong
| image = tbd
| birth_date = 5 September 1991
| nationality = [[Koreans|Korean]]
| team = [[Seoul Dynasty]]
| role = Support
| league = [[Overwatch League]]
| games = ''[[Overwatch (video game)|Overwatch]]''
| years_active = 2017-present
| Team = [[Seoul Dynasty]]
| years1 = 2011-2012
| team1 = Lunatic-Hai (''[[Counter Strike|Counter Strike 1.6]]'')
| years2 = 2012-2013
| team2 = STX SouL (''[[Special Force (2004 video game)#Sequel|Special Force II]]'')
| years3 = 2013-2014
| team3 = Lunatic-Hai (''[[Counter-Strike Online]]'')
| years4 = 2016-2017
| team4 = Lunatic-Hai (''Overwatch'')
| years5 = 2016-2017
| team5 = South Korea
| years6 = 2017-present
| team6 = [[Seoul Dynasty]]}}


Ryu transitioned to a career in [[content creation]], signing with [[Gen.G]] in early 2021. However, he was indefinitely suspended from the organization shortly afterwards due to offensive comments he made on stream towards his female co-streamer.
'''Ryu Je-hong''' (Hangul: 류제홍, born September 5, 1991), better known by his online alias '''ryujehong''', is a South Korean professional ''[[Overwatch]]'' player currently playing for the [[Seoul Dynasty]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://overwatchleague.com/en-us/players/4105/ryujehong|title=The Overwatch League: Players|website=The Overwatch League|language=en-us|access-date=2019-05-28}}</ref>


== Early life ==
Ryu is renowned for his high mechanical ability and high impact in-game performances. He is most famous for his performances on the hero Ana, a sniper wielding hero on which Ryu displayed high accuracy.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.akshonesports.com/article/2017/12/profiles-ryu-ryujehong-jehong-road-seoul-dynasty-ft-worlds-best-ana|title=PROfiles: Ryu "ryujehong" Jehong – The Road to Seoul Dynasty ft. World's Best Ana|website=Akshon Esports|access-date=2019-05-29}}</ref>
Ryu was born on September 5, 1991.<ref>{{cite tweet |user=SeoulDynasty |author=Seoul Dynasty |number=950580838101540864 |title=Last but not least, our world renowned TANK & SUPPORT members are here to present their profile for the #OWL2018 |date=January 8, 2018 |access-date=April 19, 2022}}</ref> In his youth, he preferred playing [[arcade games]], and the first [[PC game]] he played was ''[[Counter-Strike]]''. He made the decision to become a professional gamer when he was in seventh grade.<ref name="OWL">{{cite AV media |work=Overwatch League |date=June 8, 2019 |title=Ryujehong: An Overwatch Dynasty |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YStDsb3GStk |access-date=April 18, 2022 |time=1:57 |via=YouTube}}</ref> The first tournament he competed in was the [[World Cyber Games]] Korea qualifiers, when he was in eighth grade.<ref name="Kim">{{cite interview |first1=Jason |last1=Kim |title=Ryujehong "I'm going to play until I'm 40-50" |work=Akshon Esports |date=December 9, 2016 |access-date=April 18, 2022 |url=https://www.akshonesports.com/article/2016/12/translated-interview-ryujehong-im-going-play-im-40-50 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190528133054/https://www.akshonesports.com/article/2016/12/translated-interview-ryujehong-im-going-play-im-40-50 |archive-date=May 28, 2019}}</ref>


== Professional career ==
Ryu is one of two players to win the [[Overwatch World Cup|''Overwatch'' World Cup]] twice, doing so consecutively in 2016 and 2017 alongside his teammate Kim "'''zunba'''" Joon-Hyuk.
=== Pre-''Overwatch'' ===
Additionally, these two are also the only two players to have won the OGN ''Overwatch APEX'' tournament twice, also consecutively in the second and third seasons of the tournament.
Ryu began his professional esports career in 2010 as a ''[[Counter-Strike]]'' player for South Korean team Lunatic-Hai.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Choi |first1=Ji-young |title=젠지, '엠비션' 강찬용과 크리에이터 재계약…류제홍·'큐베' 이성진도 새롭게 합류 |url=https://www.xportsnews.com/article/1377037 |access-date=April 18, 2022 |work=X-ports News |date=January 12, 2021 |language=Korean}}</ref> He then transitioned to playing ''[[Special Force (2004 video game)#Sequel|Special Force 2]]'' and was a part of the STX SouL team that defeated [[SK Telecom]], 3–0, in the Special Force 2 Pro League Season 2 finals in September 2012.<ref>{{cite news |author1=Heo Jun |title=스페셜포스2 프로리그, 마지막 우승팀은 'STX 소울' |trans-title=Special Force 2 Pro League, the last winner is 'STX Soul' |url=https://www.inews24.com/view/691000 |access-date=April 18, 2022 |work=inews24 |date=September 22, 2012 |language=Korean}}</ref> After the Special Force 2 Pro League shut down, Ryu played other [[first-person shooters]] before leaving for his [[Conscription in South Korea|mandatory military service]] in 2014.<ref name="Kim" /><ref>{{cite news |last1=Park |first1=Sang-jin |title=[박상진의 e스토리] 오버워치까지 걸어오고 걸어갈 길 위의 류제홍 '만남, 헤어짐, 만남' |url=https://www.fomos.kr/game/news_view?lurl=%2Fgame%2Fnews_list%3Fnews_cate_id%3D%26news_type%3D%26page%3D1388&entry_id=64361 |access-date=April 18, 2022 |work=Fomos |date=September 24, 2018 |language=Korean}}</ref> Ryu was discharged from his military service on May 25, 2016, a day after the global release of ''[[Overwatch (video game)|Overwatch]]''.<ref name="OWL" />
<br />__TOC__


== Personal life ==
=== Lunatic-Hai ===
[[File:Ryujehong in APEX Season 2 - 06.jpg|thumb|Ryu played for the Lunatic Hai from 2016 to 2017.]]
Ryu was born in [[Incheon]], [[Korea]] on September 5 1991.<ref name=":0" /> He began playing games in the 4th grade, and began playing games competitively in the 8th grade, with a strong preference for [[first-person shooter]] games.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.akshonesports.com/article/2016/12/translated-interview-ryujehong-im-going-play-im-40-50|title=[Translated interview] Ryujehong "I'm going to play until I'm 40-50"|website=Akshon Esports|access-date=2019-05-28}}</ref>
In October 2016, Ryu returned to Lunatic-Hai, competing as a [[Support (Overwatch)|support]] in their ''Overwatch'' division.<ref>{{cite news |author1=Blizzard Entertainment |title=Ryujehong: "The strongest team is my team." |url=https://overwatchleague.com/en-us/news/21349824/ryujehong-the-strongest-team-is-my-team |access-date=April 18, 2022 |work=Overwatch League |date=April 18, 2022}}</ref> Through the remainder of the year, he and the team competed in several tournament series, including China's APAC Premier 2016 and South Korea's [[Overwatch Apex|''Overwatch'' Apex]] Season 1. While the team did not pick up a title in either one, Ryu was widely considered the world's best [[Ana (Overwatch)|Ana]] player.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Waltzer |first1=Noah |title=Great expectations for IEM Gyeonggi Overwatch |url=https://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/18277808/iem-gyeonggi-overwatch-invitational-preview-great-expectations |access-date=April 18, 2022 |work=[[ESPN]] |date=December 14, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Erzberger |first1=Tyler |title=From uncrowned kings to new idols: Lunatic-Hai |url=https://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/19151605/from-uncrowned-kings-new-idols-lunatic-hai |access-date=April 18, 2022 |work=[[ESPN]] |date=April 13, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Salomonsson |first1=Fredrick |title=Get to grips with Korea's world-conquering Overwatch scene |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/get-to-grips-with-koreas-world-conquering-overwatch-scene/ |access-date=April 19, 2022 |work=[[PC Gamer]] |date=November 16, 2016}}</ref> Ryu picked up his first Apex title on April 8, 2017, after Lunatic-Hai defeated [[RunAway]], 4–3, in the Apex Season 2 finals.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Nguyen |first1=Steven |title=Lunatic-Hai crowned king of South Korean Overwatch at APEX Season 2 finals |url=https://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/19110271/lunatic-hai-crowned-king-south-korean-overwatch-apex-season-2-finals |access-date=April 18, 2022 |work=[[ESPN]] |date=April 8, 2017}}</ref> Additionally, he was named the season's most valuable player.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Tuffs |first1=Josh |title=The top performers from OGN Overwatch APEX Season Two |url=https://dotesports.com/overwatch/news/ogn-overwatch-apex-season-two-awards-14114 |access-date=April 18, 2022 |work=[[Dot Esports]] |date=April 13, 2017}}</ref> Ryu carried his success into the following season, claiming the Apex Season 3 title after defeating KongDoo Panthera, 4–3, in the finals on July 29, 2017, and again was named the season's most valuable player.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Nguyen |first1=Steven |title=Lunatic-Hai defends the throne at APEX Season 3 finals |url=https://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/20192892/ogn-overwatch-apex-season-3-lunatic-hai-defends-throne |access-date=April 18, 2022 |work=[[ESPN]] |date=July 29, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Jang |first1=Minyoung |last2=Paek |first2=Ji-Eun |title=Overwatch APEX Finals: Lunatic-Hai "I'd like to thank my teammates for holding out so well.' |url=https://www.invenglobal.com/articles/2563/overwatch-apex-finals-lunatic-hai-id-like-to-thank-my-teammates-for-holding-out-so-well |access-date=April 18, 2022 |work=Inven Global |date=July 29, 2017}}</ref> In Season 4, Ryu did not play in Lunatic-Hai's win over Meta Athena that advanced them to the second group stage.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Carpenter |first1=Nicole |title=Lunatic-Hai secures a slot in the OGN Overwatch Apex quarterfinals—without star support Ryujehong |url=https://dotesports.com/overwatch/news/meta-athena-vs-lunatic-hai-ogn-overwatch-apex-17309 |access-date=April 18, 2022 |work=[[Dot Esports]] |date=September 12, 2017}}</ref> While he returned to the lineup afterwards, a loss to GC Busan in the second group stage ended their season.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Rand |first1=Emily |title=Seoul's dynasty is already starting to crumble |url=https://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/23189396/seoul-dynasty-already-starting-crumble |access-date=April 18, 2022 |work=[[ESPN]] |date=February 5, 2020}}</ref> At the end of 2017, Ryu was nominated for [[The Game Awards 2017]] Best Esports Player.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Carpenter |first1=Nicole |title=Lunatic-Hai and Ryujehong nominated in The Game Awards |url=https://dotesports.com/overwatch/news/lunatic-hai-ryujehong-game-awards-18693 |access-date=April 19, 2022 |work=[[Dot Esports]] |date=November 14, 2017}}</ref>


== Career ==
=== Seoul Dynasty ===
In August 2017, [[Blizzard Entertainment]] announced that [[KSV Esports]] had signed Ryu, along with many other members of Lunatic-Hai, for their team representing [[Seoul]], later branded revealed as the [[Seoul Dynasty]], in the upcoming [[Overwatch League]] (OWL).<ref>{{cite news |last1=Goslin |first1=Austen |title=Team Seoul signs Lunatic-Hai roster for Overwatch League |url=https://www.heroesneverdie.com/2017/8/23/16180016/lunatic-hai-overwatch-roster-team-seoul-korea-overwatch-league |access-date=April 19, 2022 |work=Heroes Never Die |publisher=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |date=August 23, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Goslin |first1=Austen |title=Seoul Dynasty announced as Korea's first Overwatch League team |url=https://www.heroesneverdie.com/2017/10/27/16560070/overwatch-league-seoul-dynasty-announced-korea-lunatic-hai |access-date=April 19, 2022 |work=Heroes Never Die |publisher=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |date=October 27, 2017}}</ref>


Ryu was named the team captain and played his first regular season match on opening day, January 10, 2018, that resulted in a win over the [[Dallas Fuel]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Webster |first1=Andrew |title=At the Overwatch League's opening night, I witnessed the strange, thrilling future of sports |url=https://www.theverge.com/2018/1/16/16897500/overwatch-league-opening-night-blizzard-arena |access-date=April 19, 2022 |work=[[The Verge]] |date=January 16, 2018}}</ref> The Dynasty elected to bench Ryu in their match against the [[London Spitfire]] on February 1; the team lost the series 0–4, marking the first time that they had been [[whitewash (sport)|swept]] in a match.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Swaby |first1=Gary |title=Was Ryujehong what Seoul Dynasty was missing against London Spitfire? |url=https://overwatchwire.usatoday.com/2018/02/02/was-ryujehong-what-seoul-dynasty-was-missing-against-london-spitfire/ |work=Overwatch Wire |publisher=[[USA Today]] |date=February 2, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180203124432/https://overwatchwire.usatoday.com/2018/02/02/was-ryujehong-what-seoul-dynasty-was-missing-against-london-spitfire/ |archive-date=February 3, 2018}}</ref> Throughout the first half of the season, Ryu mainly played as [[Zenyatta (Overwatch)|Zenyatta]], an offensive-driven support character, rather than Ana; despite many expecting him to be the top support player in the league, it was clear that [[New York Excelsior]]{{'s}} [[Bang "JJonak" Sung-hyeon]] would be taking that title. In their first game after midpoint of the season, on April 4, the Dynasty once again benched Ryu, and once again, they suffered a 0–4 loss — this time to the [[Los Angeles Valiant]].<ref>{{cite news |author1=ESPN Stats & Information |title=Trying to solve the Seoul Dynasty puzzle |url=https://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/23108389/trying-solve-seoul-dynasty-puzzle |access-date=April 19, 2022 |work=[[ESPN]] |date=April 10, 2018}}</ref> He played outside of his role in a match on May 4 against the Spitfire, playing as the [[Tank (Overwatch)|tank]] character [[Winston (Overwatch)|Winston]],<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lingle |first1=Samuel |title=Ryujehong plays main tank as Seoul Dynasty lose to London Spitfire |url=https://dotesports.com/overwatch/news/ryujehong-main-tank-owl-5-5-2018-23404 |access-date=April 19, 2022 |work=[[Dot Esports]] |date=May 5, 2018}}</ref> and despite not performing great in his new role, the Dynasty continued to play him as a tank for several more matches.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Jeong |first1=Seong Mo |last2=Park |first2=Kyung Yun |title=The Fall of the Dynasty: Will Seoul end OWL Season 1 like this? |url=https://www.invenglobal.com/articles/5188/the-fall-of-the-dynasty-will-seoul-end-owl-season-1-like-this |access-date=April 19, 2022 |work=Inven Global |date=May 30, 2018}}</ref> At the end of the season, Ryu was selected as a starter for the [[2018 Overwatch League All-Star Game|2018 All-Star Game]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Chalk |first1=Andy |title=Overwatch League All-Star Game starting lineups revealed |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/overwatch-league-all-star-game-starting-lineup-revealed/ |access-date=April 19, 2022 |work=[[PC Gamer]] |date=June 21, 2018}}</ref>
=== Early career ===
Ryu's professional esports career began in 2010 when he participated in the CS Online "The Clan" Regular Season 1 2010, which he won. For this victory he was recruited into Lunatic-Hai's ''[[Counter Strike|Counter Strike 1.6]]'' team under the online alias '''ninja'''. The team participated in the WEG e-Stars Seoul tournament in 2011, where they failed to win a single match.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.esportsheaven.com/features/the-journey-of-ryu-je-hong-charting-the-evolution-of-a-king/|title=The Journey of Ryu Je-hong — Charting the Evolution of a King|website=Esportsheaven|language=en|access-date=2019-05-28}}</ref>


The following season, Ryu was selected as a starter for the [[2019 Overwatch League All-Star Game|2019 All-Star Game]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Richardson |first1=Liz |title=Here are the starting lineups for the Overwatch League All-Star Game |url=https://dotesports.com/overwatch/news/here-are-the-starting-lineups-for-the-overwatch-league-all-star-game |access-date=April 19, 2022 |work=[[Dot Esports]] |date=May 1, 2019}}</ref> After the conclusion of the 2019 season, Ryu was listed as a free agent; after, Seoul Dynasty [[Chief Operations Officer|COO]] Arnold Hur announced that the franchise had [[Retired number|retired]] his number 14 jersey.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Peres |first1=Pedro |title=Seoul Dynasty to retire Ryujehong's jersey number |url=https://dotesports.com/overwatch/news/seoul-dynasty-to-retire-ryujehongs-jersey-number |access-date=April 19, 2022 |work=[[Dot Esports]] |date=November 18, 2019}}</ref>
Ryu soon moved onto ''[[Special Force (2004 video game)#Sequel|Special Force II]]'', another first-person shooter game. He joined the team STX SouL after winning a local PC cafe competition where he would meet Kim "'''EscA'''" In-Jae and Lee "'''LEETAEJUN'''" Tae-Jun. The team participated in the SK Telecom SF2 Proleague, going on to win Season 2 of the competition and being Ryu's first major title in any game. However, the STX SouL roster would part ways with the STX organisation shortly after on September 1 2013.<ref name=":2" />


=== Vancouver Titans ===
Ryu returned to ''[[Counter-Strike Online]]'', rejoining Lunatic-Hai's team as their captain. This team participated in the CS Online “The Challenge” Tournament, where they would come second overall after losing to Project KR. Shortly afterwards, Ryu would leave to carry out his [[Conscription in South Korea|compulsory mandatory military service]] in 2014.<ref name=":1" />
On November 27, 2019, the [[Vancouver Titans]] announced that they had signed Ryu for the upcoming [[2020 Overwatch League season|2020 season]].<ref name="ESPN">{{cite news |title=Overwatch League's Vancouver Titans sign ryujehong, release Bumper |url=https://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/28178678/overwatch-league-vancouver-titans-sign-ryujehong-release-bumper |access-date=April 19, 2022 |work=[[ESPN]] |agency=[[Reuters]] |date=November 27, 2019}}</ref> Many expected that he would split playing time behind Titan's support player Lee "Twilight" Ju-seok, who was an MVP nominee the previous season.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Rush |first1=Andrew |title=2020 Team Preview: Vancouver Titans |url=https://overwatchleague.com/en-us/news/23299541 |access-date=April 19, 2022 |work=Overwatch League |date=January 30, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Richardson |first1=Liz |title=Ryujehong joins the Vancouver Titans |url=https://dotesports.com/overwatch/news/ryujehong-joins-the-vancouver-titans |access-date=April 19, 2022 |work=[[Dot Esports]] |date=November 27, 2019}}</ref> However, on May 6, 2020, four matches into the season, the Titans released their entire roster following ongoing disputes between the organization's management and players.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Webster |first1=Andrew |title=The Overwatch League's troubles continue as top team drops entire roster |url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/5/6/21249675/overwatch-league-owl-vancouver-titans-roster-cuts-esports |access-date=April 19, 2022 |work=[[The Verge]] |date=May 6, 2020}}</ref> That same day, Ryu said that his time with the organization was "life was hell for 25 days" and announced that he would be taking a break from professional ''Overwatch''.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Michael |first1=Cale |title=Ryujehong to take a break from Overwatch after Vancouver Titans implode, says he won't retire |url=https://dotesports.com/overwatch/news/ryujehong-to-take-break-from-overwatch-after-vancouver-titans-implode-says-he-wont-retire |access-date=April 19, 2022 |work=[[Dot Esports]] |date=May 6, 2020}}</ref>


=== ''Overwatch'' ===
== National team career ==
Ryu was selected as a member of Team South Korea for the [[Overwatch World Cup 2016|first Overwatch World Cup]] (OWWC). Team South Korea ran through the entire tournament, ultimately defeating Team Russia, 4–0, in the World Cup final on November 6, 2016. As one of the first major ''Overwatch'' competitions in history, it was at this point when Ryu became known as one of the top ''Overwatch'' players in the world.<ref>{{cite news |title=守望编年史——万众瞩目的2016守望先锋世界杯 |trans-title=Overwatch Chronicles - The much-anticipated 2016 Overwatch World Cup |url=https://www.bilibili.com/read/cv2522383 |access-date=April 19, 2022 |work=[[Bilibili]] |date=April 24, 2019 |language=Chinese}}</ref> The following year, Ryu was selected to represent Team South Korea [[2017 Overwatch World Cup]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Carpenter |first1=Nicole |title=South Korea's Overwatch World Cup team has been decided, and it looks terrifying |url=https://dotesports.com/overwatch/news/south-korea-national-overwatch-team-15309 |access-date=April 19, 2022 |work=[[Dot Esports]] |date=June 19, 2017}}</ref> He picked up his second OWWC title after Team South Korea defeated Team Canada, 4–1, in the World Cup finals on November 4, 2017.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Nguyen |first1=Steven |title=South Korea repeats as Overwatch World Cup champs |url=https://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/21290038/blizzcon-2017-south-korea-repeats-overwatch-world-cup-champs |access-date=April 19, 2022 |work=[[ESPN]] |date=November 4, 2017}}</ref>
Ryu returned from his military service on May 25, 2016, a day after the global release of ''[[Overwatch]]''.<ref name=":1" /> Remaining with Lunatic-Hai, he joined former teammates Kim "'''EscA'''" In-Jae and Lee "'''LEETAEJUN'''" Tae-Jun to form the organisation's ''Overwatch'' team. Together they participated in the Inven ''Overwatch'' Power League Preseason as their first tournament. Alongside other notable players such as Gong "'''Miro'''" Jin-Hyuk and Yang "'''tobi'''" Jin-mo, the team lost to LW Red, who would later go on to win the tournament.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.invenglobal.com/overwatch/articles/67/lw-red-takes-down-lunatic-hai-to-become-powerleague-champions|title=Overwatch: LW Red takes down Lunatic-Hai to become PowerLeague champions|website=www.invenglobal.com|language=en|access-date=2019-05-28}}</ref>


== Content creation ==
Ryu next participated in the APAC Premier 2016 tournament as the team expected to win. However, they were upset by the European super team [[Rogue]] in the finals, losing 1-4.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thescoreesports.com/overwatch/news/11044-rogue-defeat-lunatic-hai-4-1-win-apac-premier|title=Rogue defeat Lunatic-Hai 4-1, win APAC Premier|website=www.thescoreesports.com|language=en|access-date=2019-05-28}}</ref>
On January 12, 2021, [[Gen.G]], parent group of the Seoul Dynasty, announced that they had brought on Ryu as a [[content creator]] for ''Overwatch''.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kay |first1=Meg |title=Gen.G signs Nemesis, Crownshot, Ryujehong, and more for 2021 content creation roster |url=https://dotesports.com/streaming/news/gen-g-announce-content-creation-roster-for-2021 |access-date=April 19, 2022 |work=[[Dot Esports]] |date=January 12, 2021}}</ref> On a [[Twitch (service)|Twitch]] stream days later, Ryu was co-streaming with a female streamer. While apparently drunk, he made several sexist and offensive comments towards his co-streamer. Ryu issued two apologies, and Gen.G indefinitely suspended all of Ryu's team-related activities on January 19.<ref>{{cite news |title=[이효석의 게임인] 프로게이머가 "김치녀" 욕설…징계할 일일까? |trans-title=A professional gamer swears "Kimchi Women" profanity... Will it be punishable? |url=https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20210122132400017 |access-date=April 19, 2022 |work=[[Yonhap News Agency]] |date=January 23, 2021 |language=Korean}}</ref>


== References ==
Ryu was selected to participate in the first [[Overwatch World Cup 2016|''Overwatch'' World Cup]] as a member of Team South Korea, alongside his teammates Gong and Kim from Lunatic-Hai.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://playoverwatch.com/en-us/news/20279912|title=Overwatch|website=Overwatch|language=en-US|access-date=2019-05-28}}</ref> They completed their group stage without dropping a single point. Ryu and Team South Korea continued this performance into playoffs, completing their tournament without giving up a single point, and beating Team Russia in a 4-0 sweep in the grand finals.<ref>{{Citation|last=PlayOverwatch|title=2016 Overwatch World Cup Recap {{!}} Part 2|date=2017-07-03|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tqDKDpqxJA|access-date=2019-05-28}}</ref> It was in this tournament that Ryu made an international name for himself as one of the best support players in the world, as well as the undisputed title of best Ana player in the world.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.invenglobal.com/articles/2837/ama-with-ryujehong-ask-us-anything-and-win-a-free-blizzard-balance-gift-card|title=Overwatch: AMA with ryujehong -Ask Us Anything and Win a FREE Blizzard Balance Gift Card!|website=www.invenglobal.com|language=en|access-date=2019-05-29}}</ref>
{{reflist}}


{{Overwatch League}}
Ryu returned to Korea to participate in the first season of the [[OGN (TV channel)|OGN]] ''Overwatch'' Apex tournament. Despite having a strong group stage performance, leaving their group as the highest seed, Ryu and Lunatic-Hai were knocked out by Kongdoo Uncia in the first round of the playoffs.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gosugamers.net/overwatch/news/42369-rogue-eliminated-from-apex-playoffs-kd-uncia-upset-lunatic-hai|title=Rogue eliminated from APEX playoffs, KD Uncia upset Lunatic Hai|website=www.gosugamers.net|language=en|access-date=2019-05-29}}</ref>
{{Seoul Dynasty}}


[[Category:Living people]]
Ryu and his team participated in the [[Intel Extreme Masters]] Season XI Gyeonggi in [[Goyang]], where he and his team had a relatively easy path through to the grand finals, only dropping one point. However, they were defeated 3-1 in the finals by LuxuryWatch Red, denying Lunatic-Hai yet another first place finish at a major event.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.espn.com.au/esports/story/_/id/18303313/2016-iem-gyeonggi-overwatch-luxurywatch-red-dominate-lunatic-hai-win-grand-finals|title=IEM Gyeonggi Overwatch: LW Red dominate in grand finals|date=2016-12-18|website=ESPN.com|language=en|access-date=2019-05-29}}</ref>
[[Category:South Korean esports players]]

[[Category:Vancouver Titans players]]
Ryu and Lunatic-Hai came into 2017 being considered as "the best team in the world yet to win a major title", with Ryu maintaining his reputation as one of the strongest Ana players in Korea.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://dotesports.com/overwatch/news/lunatic-hai-overwatch-apex-championship-14075|title=The kings have been crowned: A look back at Lunatic-Hai's championship season|date=2017-04-11|website=Dot Esports|language=en-US|access-date=2019-05-29}}</ref> The team was rocked by a scandal during the group stage of OGN ''Overwatch'' Apex Season 2 when two of their members, Geum "'''dean'''" Dong-Geun and Lee "'''LEETAEJUN'''" Tae-Jun, were banned from the tournament after they were accused of engaging in inappropriate relations with fans.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.invenglobal.com/articles/963/lunatic-hais-leetaejun-and-dean-banned-from-season-2-apex-due-to-promiscuous-private-life|title=Overwatch: Lunatic-Hai's Leetaejun and dean banned from Season 2 APEX due to promiscuous private life|website=www.invenglobal.com|language=en|access-date=2019-05-29}}</ref> As a result, the team was forced to replace them new addition Kim "'''zunba'''" Joon-Hyuk, signed at the beginning of the season, and rookie Lee "'''Whoru'''" Seung-Joon. Commentator montecristo!!! at the time noted that this may have benefitted the team in the long term, as it allowed Ryu to stay in the support role rather than be forced to move in between support and tank like he had been when Geum was on the roster.<ref>{{Citation|last=OGN|title=[ENG] LW Blue vs. Lunatic-Hai - OVERWATCH APEX S2 ENERGIZED BY HOT6 170203|date=2017-02-05|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUCoSy7vRC4&t=3818s|access-date=2019-05-29}}</ref>
[[Category:Seoul Dynasty players]]

[[Category:1991 births]]
After completing their group stage with a strong performance, only dropping a single point in three games, the team earned the moniker of the "uncrowned kings", owing to their lack of a major title despite their recent strong performances.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/19151605|title=From uncrowned kings to new idols: Lunatic-Hai|date=2017-04-13|website=ESPN.com|language=en|access-date=2019-05-29}}</ref> The team would suffer its first loss of the tournament during the double elimination quarter finals to the underdog team RunAway, who they would later meet in the grand final. Ryu and the team came back from a 3-1 deficit to Runaway in the grand finals to win 4-3, awarding them their first major title as Lunatic-Hai and Ryu's second major title.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|url=https://medium.com/the-cube/lunatic-hai-defeats-runaway-to-claim-apex-season-2-championship-cb2d9f59eeb3|title=Lunatic-Hai defeats RunAway to claim APEX Season 2 championship|last=Dryer|first=Sean|date=2017-04-09|website=Medium|access-date=2019-05-29}}</ref> Ryu was voted as the Most Valuable Player for the season.<ref name=":3" />
[[Category:Counter-Strike players]]

Ryu and Lunatic-Hai followed this success into OGN ''Overwatch'' Apex Season 3, completing their group stage without a single loss once again.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.espn.com.au/esports/story/_/id/19749242|title=OW: Lunatic-Hai qualify for semifinals|date=2017-06-27|website=ESPN.com|language=en|access-date=2019-05-29}}</ref> This strong performance, and Ryu's reputation as one of the best support players in Korea, got him selected to represent Team South Korea for a consecutive year in the ''Overwatch'' World Cup 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://dotesports.com/overwatch/news/south-korea-national-overwatch-team-15309|title=South Korea's Overwatch World Cup team has been decided, and it looks terrifying|date=2017-06-19|website=Dot Esports|language=en-US|access-date=2019-05-29}}</ref>

The team experienced another issue when Lee Seung-Joon was announced to be benched for the rest of the season.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dbltap.com/posts/5327069-lunatic-hai-bench-player-after-ego-issues|title=Lunatic-Hai Bench Player After Ego Issues|date=2017-07-29|website=dbltap.com|language=en|access-date=2019-05-29}}</ref> This forced the team to use Ryu's substitute, Moon "'''Gido'''" Gi-Do, in a damage role rather than the support role.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.over.gg/4567/whereru-whoru-benched-by-lunatic-hai|title=WhereRU? Whoru benched by Lunatic-Hai|website=over.gg|language=en|access-date=2019-05-29}}</ref> Though the immediate effect of this setback granted the team a loss to rivals KongDoo Panthera in the first round of the double elimination, the team managed to reach the finals for a rematch with KongDoo. Ryu and the team played a close match against KongDoo, with each team trading points until Lunatic-Hai managed to win 4-3, defending their Apex title.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://tv5.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/20192892|title=OW: Lunatic-Hai defends the throne at APEX S3 finals|date=2017-07-29|website=ESPN.com|language=en|access-date=2019-05-29}}</ref> Ryu was also voted as the Most Valuable Player for this season.<ref>{{Citation|last=OGN|title=[ENG] Lunatic-Hai VS. KD Panthera / Final - OVERWATCH APEX S3 ENERGIZED BY HOT6 170729|date=2017-09-05|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TV31guytz10|access-date=2019-05-29}}</ref>

Ryu, Yang and Kim Joon-Hyuk, participated in the [[Overwatch World Cup 2017|''Overwatch'' World Cup 2017]] Katowice Qualifier, where they exhibited a dominant performance over their group by finishing with a 3-0 win/loss ratio without dropping a single point.<ref>{{Citation|last=PlayOverwatch|title=2017 Overwatch World Cup {{!}} Katowice Group Stage Recap|date=2017-08-11|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EXzh9Mn6Go|access-date=2019-05-29}}</ref>

On August 21, 2017, Ryu and his teammates from Lunatic-Hai minus Lee Seung-Joon and Lee Tae-Jun were announced as the first six members to represent [[Seoul]] as a team in [[Blizzard Entertainment|Blizzard Entertainment's]] upcoming [[Overwatch League]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://overwatchleague.com/en-us/news/20971934/overwatch-league-roster-announcements-08-01-08-22|title=Overwatch League Roster Announcements, 08/01-08/22|website=The Overwatch League|language=en-us|access-date=2019-05-29}}</ref> [[Kevin Chou]], the owner of the team which would later become the [[Seoul Dynasty]], stated that he picked up the team owing to their strong recent performances and popularity.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/20590946|title=Silicon Valley meets Overwatch: Q&A with Kevin Chou|date=2017-09-05|website=ESPN.com|language=en|access-date=2019-05-29}}</ref>

Ryu returned to Korea to participate in OGN ''Overwatch'' Apex Season 4 with Lunatic-Hai. However, an inconsistent performance in the group stage and two consecutive losses to rookie team GC Busan, who would later win the tournament, had Ryu and the team exit during the quarterfinal stage.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://slingshotesports.com/2017/10/06/lunatic-hai-upset-ogn-apex-season-4/|title=Two-time OGN APEX champion Lunatic-Hai suffers massive upset, misses semifinals of Season 4|date=2017-10-06|website=Slingshot Esports|language=en-US|access-date=2019-05-29}}</ref>

Ryu participated in the Seoul Cup - OGN Super Match with Lunatic-Hai and their new members, alongside invited Chinese teams Lucky Future and Miraculous Youngsters, as well as the KongDoo Panthera, who had been revealed to be expected to represent the London franchise of the ''Overwatch'' League.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.over.gg/5981/ogn-seoul-supercup-announced|title=OGN Seoul Supercup announced|website=over.gg|language=en|access-date=2019-05-29}}</ref> Ryu and the team managed a reverse sweep against Miraculous Youngsters to win 3-2 in the semifinals, and defeated KongDoo Panthera in the finals 3-1. This would be the last time that Ryu and his teammates would play under the banner of Lunatic-Hai, as the team (with exceptions to Lee Seung-Joon and Lee Tae-Jun) would be collectively transferred to the Seoul Dynasty under ownership of Gen.G (formerly KSV esports) owned by [[Kevin Chou]].

Ryu travelled to [[Anaheim]] with Yang and Kim Joon-Hyuk for the ''Overwatch'' World Cup 2017 Playoffs. Team South Korea defeated crowd-favourites Team USA in the quarter final match with a 3-1 score, notably being the first time Team South Korea had ever lost a point during a World Cup event. After defeating France in the semi-finals 3-1 as well, Team South Korea successfully defended their title against Team Canada with a 4-1 finish.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://tempostorm.com/articles/overview-overwatch-world-cup-blizzcon-2017|title={{ metaservice.ogMetaTitle() }}|website=tempostorm.com|language=en|access-date=2019-05-29}}</ref> Notably, during these matches, the usage of Ryu's signature hero Ana had fallen out of favour in the professional scene due to various changes in the game. However, Ryu managed to perform similar feats as he did before on the hero, leading to (this) moment and maintaining his reputation as an Ana player above all others.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.heroesneverdie.com/2017/11/4/16607796/overwatch-world-cup-2017-south-korea-champions|title=South Korea are the 2017 Overwatch World Cup champions|last=Goslin|first=Austen|date=2017-11-04|website=Heroes Never Die|access-date=2019-05-29}}</ref>

==== Overwatch League ====

On December 6 2017, Ryu played his first match as the Seoul Dynasty in the Overwatch League Inaugural Preseason. Living up to their reputation as a favourite to win the Inaugural Season, they won all three of their preseason matches against the [[Shanghai Dragons]], [[Houston Outlaws]] and [[New York Excelsior]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2017/12/12/the-overwatch-league-preseason-results-are-in|title=The Overwatch League Preseason Results Are In|last=Austinwoodmedia|date=2017-12-12|website=IGN|language=en-US|access-date=2019-05-29}}</ref>

On January 10 2018, Ryu and his teammates played their first regular season match of the Overwatch League Inaugural Season, being the highlight match of the first day of the league, against the [[Dallas Fuel]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/22031021|title=Seoul survives Dallas, L.A. teams hold court as OWL begins|date=2018-01-11|website=ESPN.com|language=en|access-date=2019-05-29}}</ref> The Dallas Fuel were formed from the core of [[Team EnVy]], who Lunatic-Hai had faced multiple times throughout their OGN Apex runs, resulting in a historical rivalry. Ryu and the Dynasty won a close 2-1 match, which was recorded with a peak viewership of 436,789 viewers on the [[Twitch]] streaming platform and a further 1,210,105 viewers across Chinese streaming services.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://escharts.com/tournaments/ow/owl-stage4|title=Overwatch League - Inaugural Season: Stage 4 detailed stats|last=escharts.com|website=escharts.com|language=en|access-date=2019-05-30}}</ref> The team would finish the first stage of the league with a 7-3 record, placing them in 5th place and missing out on the stage playoffs. Ryu and the team performed just as well in stage 2 of the Overwatch League Inaugural Season with a record of 7-3, placing them in 4th place. Once again, this left them barely missing the stage 2 playoffs as well. Stage 3 of the Inaugural Season offered a considerably worse performance from the Dynasty, which went 5-5. It was during their game against the Houston Outlaws in this stage where the team made the strange decision to move Ryu to a main tank position, replacing him with Moon on the support position.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://dotesports.com/overwatch/news/ryujehong-seoul-dynasty-sweep-houston-outlaws-23413|title=Ryujehong leads Seoul Dynasty to sweep Houston Outlaws|date=2018-05-05|website=Dot Esports|language=en-US|access-date=2019-05-30}}</ref> Ryu would continue to play in this tank position until week 2 of stage 4 of the Inaugural Season where he was moved back to.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://dotesports.com/overwatch/news/ryujehong-main-tank-owl-5-5-2018-23404|title=Ryujehong plays main tank as Seoul Dynasty lose to London Spitfire|date=2018-05-05|website=Dot Esports|language=en-US|access-date=2019-05-30}}</ref> Seoul Dynasty would finish this stage with a 3-7 record, eliminating them from the season playoffs and ending their season in 8th place overall.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://dotesports.com/overwatch/news/seoul-dynasty-eliminated-owl-playoffs-24898|title=Seoul Dynasty's loss cedes an OWL playoff spot to Philadelphia Fusion|date=2018-06-16|website=Dot Esports|language=en-US|access-date=2019-05-30}}</ref>

Ryu was selected by a fan vote to participate in the Overwatch League All-Stars 2018 event, where he played in the Mystery Heroes and All Star Game events.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://overwatchleague.com/en-gb/news/21901474/full-all-star-rosters-revealed|title=Full All-Star Rosters Revealed|website=The Overwatch League|language=en-gb|access-date=2019-05-30}}</ref>

Ryu and his team returned to Overwatch League Season 2 stronger than the previous season with a relatively strong performance in stage 1, going 4-3. Due to changes in the qualifying format for the new season, this earned them a place as the 7th seed in the stage 1 playoffs. Their first match was against the New York Excelsior whom Ryu had never defeated in the regular season of the league. Ryu and the team won in a 3-1 upset, against all analyst predictions.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://dotesports.com/overwatch/news/seoul-dynasty-beat-undefeated-new-york-excelsior-to-advance-in-overwatch-league-playoffs|title=Seoul Dynasty beat undefeated New York Excelsior to advance in Overwatch League playoffs|date=2019-03-22|website=Dot Esports|language=en-US|access-date=2019-05-30}}</ref> However, they were knocked out in a 4-0 sweep in the next round, losing to the [[Vancouver Titans]] who would later win the stage 1 playoffs. <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.overwatchscore.com/overwatch-league-news/playoffs/owl-stage-one-playoffs-vancouver-titans-take-the-win/|title=OWL Stage One Playoffs: Vancouver Titans Victorious|date=2019-03-25|website=Overwatch League - News, Teams, Events|language=en-US|access-date=2019-05-30}}</ref>

Ryu and his team finished with a 3-4 record in stage 2, missing out on stage playoffs. This was mostly attributed to their strength of schedule, where they had the face the stage 1 champions, Vancouver Titans, twice during the stage.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://overwatchleague.com/en-gb/news/22955738/grav-bag-the-vogue-and-the-vintage|title=Grav Bag: The Vogue and the Vintage|website=The Overwatch League|language=en-gb|access-date=2019-05-30}}</ref>

Ryu was selected by a fan vote to participate in the Overwatch League All Stars 2019 event, where he played in the All Star Arcade and All Star Game events.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://overwatchleague.com/en-us/news/22975462/hey-now-you-re-an-all-star|title=Hey Now, You’re an All-Star|website=The Overwatch League|language=en-us|access-date=2019-05-30}}</ref>

== Results ==

{| class="sortable wikitable"
|width="70"|<center>'''Date'''<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|url=https://www.over.gg/player/matches/919/ryujehong|title=ryujehong - Match Archive|website=over.gg|language=en|access-date=2019-05-30}}</ref></center>
|width="70"|<center>'''Placement'''<ref name=":4" /></center>
|width="70"|<center>'''Tier'''<ref name=":4" /></center>
|width="310"|<center>'''Tournament'''<ref name=":4" /></center>
|width="70"|<center>'''Team'''<ref name=":4" /></center>
|width="70"|<center>'''Prize'''<ref name=":4" /></center>
|-bgcolor="#BEBEBE"
|2016-09-11||2nd||Minor||''Overwatch'' Power League - Preseason||Lunatic-hai||$2682
|-bgcolor="#FFD739"
|2016-10-02||1-12th||Qualifier||''Overwatch'' APEX Season 1: Offline Qualifier #1||Lunatic-hai||$0
|-bgcolor="#BEBEBE"
|2016-10-16||2nd||Premier||APAC Premier 2016||Lunatic-hai||$30,000
|-bgcolor="#FFD739"
|2016-11-05||1st||Premier||''Overwatch'' World Cup 2016||South Korea||$18,000
|-bgcolor="#BB8644"
|2016-11-21||5-8th||Premier||''Overwatch APEX Season 1''||Lunatic-hai||$6,337
|-bgcolor="#BEBEBE"
|2016-12-18||2nd||Major||Intel Extreme Masters Season XI Gyeonggi||Lunatic-hai||$20,000
|-bgcolor="#BB8644"
|2017-02-23||5-8th||Qualifier||Nexus Cup 2017 - Spring Korean Qualifier||Lunatic-hai||$0
|-bgcolor="#FFD739"
|2017-04-08||1st||Premier||''Overwatch'' APEX Season 2||Lunatic-hai||$89,910
|-bgcolor="#FFD739"
|2017-07-29||1st||Premier||''Overwatch'' APEX Season 3||Lunatic-hai||$92,707
|-bgcolor="#FFD739"
|2017-07-29||1st||Premier||''Overwatch'' APEX Season 3||Lunatic-hai||$92,707
|-bgcolor="#FFD739"
|2017-08-06||1-2nd||Qualifier||''Overwatch'' World Cup 2017 - Katowice Qualifier||South Korea||$9,000
|-bgcolor="#BB8644"
|2017-10-06||5-6th||Premier||''Overwatch'' APEX Season 4||Lunatic-hai||$7,137
|-bgcolor="#FFD739"
|2017-10-15||1st||Major||Seoul Cup - OGN Super Match||Lunatic-hai||$60,000
|-bgcolor="#FFD739"
|2017-11-04||1st||Premier||''Overwatch'' World Cup 2017||South Korea||$9,000
|-bgcolor="#A4DE02"
|2017-12-09||1-3rd||Exhibition||Overwatch League - Inaugural Season||Seoul Dynasty||$0
|-bgcolor="#BB8644"
|2018-06-17||8th||Premier||Overwatch League - Inaugural Season||Seoul Dynasty||$75,000
|-bgcolor="#A4DE02"
|2018-08-26||L||Exhibition||OWL All-Stars 2018 - Mystery Heroes||Pacific||$0
|-bgcolor="#A4DE02"
|2018-08-26||L||Exhibition||OWL All-Star Game 2018||Pacific||$0
|-bgcolor="#A4DE02"
|2018-12-28||Draw||Exhibition||Pacific Challenge||Seoul Dynasty||$0
|-bgcolor="#BB8644"
|2019-03-24||3-4th||Major||Overwatch League - 2019 Stage 1 Playoffs||Seoul Dynasty||$50,000
|-bgcolor="#A4DE02"
|2019-05-16||W||Exhibition||OWL All-Star Arcade 2019||Pacific||$0
|-bgcolor="#A4DE02"
|2019-05-16||L||Exhibition||OWL All-Star Game 2019||Pacific||$0
|}

== Individual awards ==
* OGN ''Overwatch'' Apex Season 2 Most Valuable Player Award.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://dotesports.com/overwatch/news/ogn-overwatch-apex-season-two-awards-14114|title=The top performers from OGN Overwatch APEX Season Two|date=2017-04-13|website=Dot Esports|language=en-US|access-date=2019-05-30}}</ref>
* OGN ''Overwatch'' Apex Season 3 Most Valuable Player Award.<ref>{{Citation|last=Overwatch APEX|title=Lunatic-Hai vs KongDoo Panthera {{!}} OGN OW APEX Season 3 [Grand Final]|date=2017-07-29|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxWX4z0XEek|access-date=2019-05-30}}</ref>
* 2017 Best Esports Player, The Game Awards (nomination).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dbltap.com/posts/5805474-ryujehong-nominated-for-best-esports-player-in-the-game-awards|title=Ryujehong Nominated for Best Esports Player in The Game Awards|date=2017-11-15|website=dbltap.com|language=en|access-date=2019-05-30}}</ref>

== References ==
<!-- Inline citations added to your article will automatically display here. See en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WP:REFB for instructions on how to add citations. -->
{{reflist}}

Latest revision as of 11:01, 24 March 2024

In this Korean name, the family name is Ryu.
ryujehong
Ryu in 2021
Personal information
Name류제홍
(Ryu Je-hong)
Born (1991-09-05) September 5, 1991 (age 33)
NationalitySouth Korean
Career information
Games
Playing career2010–2014, 2016–2020
RoleSupport
Number14
Team history
Counter-Strike:
2010–2012Lunatic-Hai
Special Force 2:
2012–2013STX SouL
Overwatch:
2016–2017Lunatic-Hai
2018–2019Seoul Dynasty
2020Vancouver Titans
Career highlights and awards

Ryu Je-hong (Korean: 류제홍, born September 5, 1991), better known mononymously as ryujehong, is a South Korean former professional esports player, best known for his career as an Overwatch player. During his Overwatch career, he played for the Seoul Dynasty and Vancouver Titans in the Overwatch League (OWL), and prior to the OWL's inception, he played for Lunatic-Hai in Overwatch Apex.

Ryu began his esports career playing Counter-Strike for South Korean team Lunatic-Hai in 2010. He then transitioned to playing Special Force II, where he won Special Force 2 Pro League Season 2 finals with team STX SouL in 2012. After the Special Force 2 Pro League shut down, Ryu left to complete his mandatory military service in 2014. After returning from his military service in 2016, Ryu joined Lunatic-Hai's Overwatch team and competed in Overwatch Apex. From 2016 to 2017, Ryu won two Apex titles, was named the Apex most valuable player twice, won two Overwatch World Cup titles with team South Korea, and was widely regarded as the world's best Ana player. In late 2017, he joined the Seoul Dynasty for the inaugural season of the Overwatch League. He played with the Dynasty in the 2018 and 2019 seasons, being named an OWL All-Star in both, before signing with the Vancouver Titans ahead of the 2020 season. Four games into the 2020 season, he was released, along with the entire Titans roster.

Ryu transitioned to a career in content creation, signing with Gen.G in early 2021. However, he was indefinitely suspended from the organization shortly afterwards due to offensive comments he made on stream towards his female co-streamer.

Early life

[edit]

Ryu was born on September 5, 1991.[1] In his youth, he preferred playing arcade games, and the first PC game he played was Counter-Strike. He made the decision to become a professional gamer when he was in seventh grade.[2] The first tournament he competed in was the World Cyber Games Korea qualifiers, when he was in eighth grade.[3]

Professional career

[edit]

Pre-Overwatch

[edit]

Ryu began his professional esports career in 2010 as a Counter-Strike player for South Korean team Lunatic-Hai.[4] He then transitioned to playing Special Force 2 and was a part of the STX SouL team that defeated SK Telecom, 3–0, in the Special Force 2 Pro League Season 2 finals in September 2012.[5] After the Special Force 2 Pro League shut down, Ryu played other first-person shooters before leaving for his mandatory military service in 2014.[3][6] Ryu was discharged from his military service on May 25, 2016, a day after the global release of Overwatch.[2]

Lunatic-Hai

[edit]
Ryu played for the Lunatic Hai from 2016 to 2017.

In October 2016, Ryu returned to Lunatic-Hai, competing as a support in their Overwatch division.[7] Through the remainder of the year, he and the team competed in several tournament series, including China's APAC Premier 2016 and South Korea's Overwatch Apex Season 1. While the team did not pick up a title in either one, Ryu was widely considered the world's best Ana player.[8][9][10] Ryu picked up his first Apex title on April 8, 2017, after Lunatic-Hai defeated RunAway, 4–3, in the Apex Season 2 finals.[11] Additionally, he was named the season's most valuable player.[12] Ryu carried his success into the following season, claiming the Apex Season 3 title after defeating KongDoo Panthera, 4–3, in the finals on July 29, 2017, and again was named the season's most valuable player.[13][14] In Season 4, Ryu did not play in Lunatic-Hai's win over Meta Athena that advanced them to the second group stage.[15] While he returned to the lineup afterwards, a loss to GC Busan in the second group stage ended their season.[16] At the end of 2017, Ryu was nominated for The Game Awards 2017 Best Esports Player.[17]

Seoul Dynasty

[edit]

In August 2017, Blizzard Entertainment announced that KSV Esports had signed Ryu, along with many other members of Lunatic-Hai, for their team representing Seoul, later branded revealed as the Seoul Dynasty, in the upcoming Overwatch League (OWL).[18][19]

Ryu was named the team captain and played his first regular season match on opening day, January 10, 2018, that resulted in a win over the Dallas Fuel.[20] The Dynasty elected to bench Ryu in their match against the London Spitfire on February 1; the team lost the series 0–4, marking the first time that they had been swept in a match.[21] Throughout the first half of the season, Ryu mainly played as Zenyatta, an offensive-driven support character, rather than Ana; despite many expecting him to be the top support player in the league, it was clear that New York Excelsior's Bang "JJonak" Sung-hyeon would be taking that title. In their first game after midpoint of the season, on April 4, the Dynasty once again benched Ryu, and once again, they suffered a 0–4 loss — this time to the Los Angeles Valiant.[22] He played outside of his role in a match on May 4 against the Spitfire, playing as the tank character Winston,[23] and despite not performing great in his new role, the Dynasty continued to play him as a tank for several more matches.[24] At the end of the season, Ryu was selected as a starter for the 2018 All-Star Game.[25]

The following season, Ryu was selected as a starter for the 2019 All-Star Game.[26] After the conclusion of the 2019 season, Ryu was listed as a free agent; after, Seoul Dynasty COO Arnold Hur announced that the franchise had retired his number 14 jersey.[27]

Vancouver Titans

[edit]

On November 27, 2019, the Vancouver Titans announced that they had signed Ryu for the upcoming 2020 season.[28] Many expected that he would split playing time behind Titan's support player Lee "Twilight" Ju-seok, who was an MVP nominee the previous season.[29][30] However, on May 6, 2020, four matches into the season, the Titans released their entire roster following ongoing disputes between the organization's management and players.[31] That same day, Ryu said that his time with the organization was "life was hell for 25 days" and announced that he would be taking a break from professional Overwatch.[32]

National team career

[edit]

Ryu was selected as a member of Team South Korea for the first Overwatch World Cup (OWWC). Team South Korea ran through the entire tournament, ultimately defeating Team Russia, 4–0, in the World Cup final on November 6, 2016. As one of the first major Overwatch competitions in history, it was at this point when Ryu became known as one of the top Overwatch players in the world.[33] The following year, Ryu was selected to represent Team South Korea 2017 Overwatch World Cup.[34] He picked up his second OWWC title after Team South Korea defeated Team Canada, 4–1, in the World Cup finals on November 4, 2017.[35]

Content creation

[edit]

On January 12, 2021, Gen.G, parent group of the Seoul Dynasty, announced that they had brought on Ryu as a content creator for Overwatch.[36] On a Twitch stream days later, Ryu was co-streaming with a female streamer. While apparently drunk, he made several sexist and offensive comments towards his co-streamer. Ryu issued two apologies, and Gen.G indefinitely suspended all of Ryu's team-related activities on January 19.[37]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Seoul Dynasty [@SeoulDynasty] (January 8, 2018). "Last but not least, our world renowned TANK & SUPPORT members are here to present their profile for the #OWL2018" (Tweet). Retrieved April 19, 2022 – via Twitter.
  2. ^ a b Ryujehong: An Overwatch Dynasty. Overwatch League. June 8, 2019. Event occurs at 1:57. Retrieved April 18, 2022 – via YouTube.
  3. ^ a b Kim, Jason (December 9, 2016). "Ryujehong "I'm going to play until I'm 40-50"". Akshon Esports (Interview). Archived from the original on May 28, 2019. Retrieved April 18, 2022.
  4. ^ Choi, Ji-young (January 12, 2021). "젠지, '엠비션' 강찬용과 크리에이터 재계약…류제홍·'큐베' 이성진도 새롭게 합류". X-ports News (in Korean). Retrieved April 18, 2022.
  5. ^ Heo Jun (September 22, 2012). "스페셜포스2 프로리그, 마지막 우승팀은 'STX 소울'" [Special Force 2 Pro League, the last winner is 'STX Soul']. inews24 (in Korean). Retrieved April 18, 2022.
  6. ^ Park, Sang-jin (September 24, 2018). "[박상진의 e스토리] 오버워치까지 걸어오고 걸어갈 길 위의 류제홍 '만남, 헤어짐, 만남'". Fomos (in Korean). Retrieved April 18, 2022.
  7. ^ Blizzard Entertainment (April 18, 2022). "Ryujehong: "The strongest team is my team."". Overwatch League. Retrieved April 18, 2022.
  8. ^ Waltzer, Noah (December 14, 2016). "Great expectations for IEM Gyeonggi Overwatch". ESPN. Retrieved April 18, 2022.
  9. ^ Erzberger, Tyler (April 13, 2017). "From uncrowned kings to new idols: Lunatic-Hai". ESPN. Retrieved April 18, 2022.
  10. ^ Salomonsson, Fredrick (November 16, 2016). "Get to grips with Korea's world-conquering Overwatch scene". PC Gamer. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
  11. ^ Nguyen, Steven (April 8, 2017). "Lunatic-Hai crowned king of South Korean Overwatch at APEX Season 2 finals". ESPN. Retrieved April 18, 2022.
  12. ^ Tuffs, Josh (April 13, 2017). "The top performers from OGN Overwatch APEX Season Two". Dot Esports. Retrieved April 18, 2022.
  13. ^ Nguyen, Steven (July 29, 2017). "Lunatic-Hai defends the throne at APEX Season 3 finals". ESPN. Retrieved April 18, 2022.
  14. ^ Jang, Minyoung; Paek, Ji-Eun (July 29, 2017). "Overwatch APEX Finals: Lunatic-Hai "I'd like to thank my teammates for holding out so well.'". Inven Global. Retrieved April 18, 2022.
  15. ^ Carpenter, Nicole (September 12, 2017). "Lunatic-Hai secures a slot in the OGN Overwatch Apex quarterfinals—without star support Ryujehong". Dot Esports. Retrieved April 18, 2022.
  16. ^ Rand, Emily (February 5, 2020). "Seoul's dynasty is already starting to crumble". ESPN. Retrieved April 18, 2022.
  17. ^ Carpenter, Nicole (November 14, 2017). "Lunatic-Hai and Ryujehong nominated in The Game Awards". Dot Esports. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
  18. ^ Goslin, Austen (August 23, 2017). "Team Seoul signs Lunatic-Hai roster for Overwatch League". Heroes Never Die. Polygon. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
  19. ^ Goslin, Austen (October 27, 2017). "Seoul Dynasty announced as Korea's first Overwatch League team". Heroes Never Die. Polygon. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
  20. ^ Webster, Andrew (January 16, 2018). "At the Overwatch League's opening night, I witnessed the strange, thrilling future of sports". The Verge. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
  21. ^ Swaby, Gary (February 2, 2018). "Was Ryujehong what Seoul Dynasty was missing against London Spitfire?". Overwatch Wire. USA Today. Archived from the original on February 3, 2018.
  22. ^ ESPN Stats & Information (April 10, 2018). "Trying to solve the Seoul Dynasty puzzle". ESPN. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
  23. ^ Lingle, Samuel (May 5, 2018). "Ryujehong plays main tank as Seoul Dynasty lose to London Spitfire". Dot Esports. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
  24. ^ Jeong, Seong Mo; Park, Kyung Yun (May 30, 2018). "The Fall of the Dynasty: Will Seoul end OWL Season 1 like this?". Inven Global. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
  25. ^ Chalk, Andy (June 21, 2018). "Overwatch League All-Star Game starting lineups revealed". PC Gamer. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
  26. ^ Richardson, Liz (May 1, 2019). "Here are the starting lineups for the Overwatch League All-Star Game". Dot Esports. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
  27. ^ Peres, Pedro (November 18, 2019). "Seoul Dynasty to retire Ryujehong's jersey number". Dot Esports. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
  28. ^ "Overwatch League's Vancouver Titans sign ryujehong, release Bumper". ESPN. Reuters. November 27, 2019. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
  29. ^ Rush, Andrew (January 30, 2020). "2020 Team Preview: Vancouver Titans". Overwatch League. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
  30. ^ Richardson, Liz (November 27, 2019). "Ryujehong joins the Vancouver Titans". Dot Esports. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
  31. ^ Webster, Andrew (May 6, 2020). "The Overwatch League's troubles continue as top team drops entire roster". The Verge. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
  32. ^ Michael, Cale (May 6, 2020). "Ryujehong to take a break from Overwatch after Vancouver Titans implode, says he won't retire". Dot Esports. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
  33. ^ "守望编年史——万众瞩目的2016守望先锋世界杯" [Overwatch Chronicles - The much-anticipated 2016 Overwatch World Cup]. Bilibili (in Chinese). April 24, 2019. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
  34. ^ Carpenter, Nicole (June 19, 2017). "South Korea's Overwatch World Cup team has been decided, and it looks terrifying". Dot Esports. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
  35. ^ Nguyen, Steven (November 4, 2017). "South Korea repeats as Overwatch World Cup champs". ESPN. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
  36. ^ Kay, Meg (January 12, 2021). "Gen.G signs Nemesis, Crownshot, Ryujehong, and more for 2021 content creation roster". Dot Esports. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
  37. ^ "[이효석의 게임인] 프로게이머가 "김치녀" 욕설…징계할 일일까?" [A professional gamer swears "Kimchi Women" profanity... Will it be punishable?]. Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). January 23, 2021. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
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