League of Legends fans felt real sadness when Han “Peanut” Wang-ho announced his retirement after the World Championship 2025. The veteran was about to retire, but suddenly everything turned upside down — he’s back in the game.
Peanut is entering the SOOP LoL League (SLL) 2025 Winter arena for the first time in almost a decade, along with his former ROX Tigers teammates. Yes, yes, with those same legends of 2016.
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Military service postponed: an unexpected twist
In September 2025, Han Peanut Wang-ho officially said goodbye to LCK after Worlds.
The reason is trivial — mandatory military service, which he delayed to the limit while he could remain in the professional scene. It seemed like the end of an era.
After all, on December 5, Peanut unexpectedly launched a stream on the South Korean SOOP platform. It was a clear signal: the breakup with the competitive League turned out to be temporary.
ROX Tigers 2025 Lineup: The Return of the Legendary Five
Peanut doesn’t just come back — he does it in the company of his former ROX Tigers teammates, whom he hasn’t played with since back in 2016. The full roaster looks like this:
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Han “Peanut” Wang-ho (forest)
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Lee “Kuro” Seo-haeng (MFA)
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Kim “PraY” Jong-in (ADC)
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Song “Smeb” Kyung-ho (top)
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No “SnowFlower” Hoi-jong (support)
These five once stormed the tops of the LCK and almost took the World Championship. Now they’re back together, albeit at a smaller tournament.
SLL 2025 Winter: tournament format and schedule
The SLL 2025 Winter Games will kick off with the groups stage on 10th December. The six strongest South Korean teams will compete for the right to qualify for the grand finals December 24th.
Considering the level of the participants, this is not just a comeback show for nostalgic fans. Among the announced players:
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Kim “Khan” Dong-ha
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Kim “Clid” Tae-min
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Park “Summit” Woo-tae
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Choi “Leaper” Gi-myeong
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Yoo “Fate” Su-hyeok
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Shin “Hirit” Tae-min
Despite the fact that this is not an official LCK tournament, the spectacle promises to be fiery — too many top-tier talent gathered in one place.
Why is this important for the esports community?
The ROX Tigers reunion is more than just nostalgia.
One of the facts is to see how veteran han wang-ho and his old teammates will prove themselves against the modern generation of pros. If they have retained at least some of their former synergy, the tournament may bring surprises.
According to the latest data from Esports Insider, this return has already caused a surge of interest in the streaming SOOP platform, where Peanut broadcasts. The audience wants to see a living legend in action, the reason for this is the incredible story of the team in 2016.
What next: prospects after SLL 2025
The main question cannot be ignored: what will happen to Peanuts after the tournament? The mandatory military service has not gone away, and at some point Han Wang-ho will have to go to serve anyway. If the tournament is successful, he may receive another postponement, but this is unlikely.
Meanwhile, the rest of the 2016 teammates reunion participants can also return to the professional scene, moreover in other formats. League of Legends esports is constantly evolving, and even veterans are finding ways to stay in the game — whether it’s coaching positions, streaming, or participating in regional leagues.
It is reasonable to say that SLL 2025 Winter is not just a tournament. This is a celebration for everyone who remembers the golden era of ROX Tigers and wants to see its echoes live. Based on this, the grand finals December 24th promise to be one of the most emotional events of the year in League of Legends.
