In League of Legends the Worlds is the most important tournament of the year. A legendary player has the chance for his first world championship title this year, as he must go to the military next year.
Which player is it? Those who have been involved with LoL e-sports for a while will have heard of Hang Wang-ho, better known as Peanut. Since 2014 (then still as a substitute player at NaJin e-mFire), the South Korean has played as a jungler with the best teams in the world.
- Between November 2016 and November 2017, he played at SK Telecom T1 alongside the legend Faker, who now has more skins than some champions.
- At Gen.G he played between November 2018 and November 2019 and then again between November 2021 and November 2023.
Since November 2023, he has been playing for Hanwha Life, and currently, things look pretty good for the team. In the current LCK 2025 Season Playoffs, they are in the finals after defeating KT Rolster 3-0 on September 20. Due to their placement, they are already qualified for the Worlds 2025.
However, there is now sad news for Peanut fans. This will probably be Peanut’s last Worlds tournament, as he must go to the military.
Peanut must go to military service, does not have the same privilege as Faker
Why does Peanut have to stop? As it became known during the match against KT Rolster, Peanut is retiring after this season (Source: YouTube). He must serve in the military in South Korea.
In the country, every man is registered at age 18, drafted at 19, and must start military service by the age of 28. Peanut is now 27. The military service typically lasts between 18 and 21 months (Source: 90daykorean.com). In rare cases, men may be exempt from service, but they must achieve something significant for the country’s reputation.
LoL legend Faker, Chovy, and Zeus were able to be exempted from military service, because they won at the Asia Games in China in 2023. Usually, the almost 2-year military service means the end of one’s career.
Apparently, Peanut knows this as well, because during the match against KT Rolster, they played in the LoL Park in Seoul. During his last match at the stadium, he brought gifts for the stadium staff and thanked them for the time.
In an interview after the match, he said: I feel like I have played the most here. […] I feel like I have grown a lot as a player, and when I look back, it feels great to have finished my last game so strongly to reach the finals. That is such a wonderful thing
(Source: YouTube).
What’s next for Peanut? On September 28, 2025, Hanwha Life will play in the finals of the LCK 2025 Season Playoffs against an as yet unknown opponent, possible candidates are T1, Gen. G or KT Rolster. After that, they will move on to the Worlds, for which they have already qualified. On October 14, 2025, the play-in stage begins, and the finals of the Worlds will take place on November 9, 2025 (Source: Leaguepedia).
Theoretically, Peanut could return after his military service, but that is quite unlikely. Without good training, he will hardly be able to keep up after almost 2 years. His former teammate Faker has recently made a name for himself not in LoL but in a music video: Faker is actually a professional in League of Legends, now appearing in a music video of a well-known K-Pop band
