- Kyle “Danny” Sakamaki will be taking some time off to focus on mental health
- He is one of the best AD carries this season
- EG has not yet announced who will be Danny’s temporary substitute
The stresses of high-level competitive play sometimes necessitate players to take breaks for their own mental well-being.
Danny Will Miss the LCS Championship Finals
Evil Geniuses are making good strides in the 2022 LCS championship, recently winning a tough battle against Team Liquid and qualifying for the tournament’s finals. However, the organization is going to have to participate without their AD carry Kyle “Danny” Sakamaki, who will be taking a break for mental health reasons.
This was announced on September 6 by Evil Geniuses’ CEO Nicole LaPointe Jameson, who recognized the effort it was for the player to step down for some time. “It takes a great deal of courage and self-awareness to recognize when the right time is to step away from something you’ve worked so hard at achieving,” she wrote,” especially when you care so deeply for this organization and your teammates, in order to focus on mental health.”
The Stress of High-Level Competition
At just 18 years of age, Danny has already earned himself the nickname of “King of Pentakills” after exploding onto the competitive scene as one of the youngest and most exciting members of Evil Geniuses’ team. His baron steal pentakill against Team Liquid will go down in League of Legends history as one of the most hype plays ever made on-stage.
The young player became this LCS Summer Split’s best-performing marksman in the league with his 88 kills and 7.5 KDA, according to statistics platform Oracle’s Elixir. Danny’s quick reflexes and fearless style of play had earned him the respect of not only his peers but also fans. He, along with Jojopyun, who was voted the LCS’s Rookie of the Year, became the young star core of Evil Geniuses, that carried them through the season.
This success, however, comes with a lot of additional expectations and pressure. This has negatively impacted Danny’s performance, with the player adding nine more deaths than he had during the regular season in four fewer games played. A good example of that is his lackluster performance during the game against Team Liquid where the AD carry scored 11 deaths through bad positioning and decision-making.
This is why it’s important for Danny to take a break and recollect himself. LaPointe said that the organization will support him in every way possible as he takes time away. “To fans of the LCS community, we ask that you show Kyle nothing but unwavering support and the empathy he deserves from all of us,” she added.
EG’s next match is against 100 Thieves on September 10, but the organization is yet to announce who will be Danny’s temporary substitute.