In League of Legends, something unimaginable is happening: After years in exile, the hated champ Teemo could make an appearance in the pro game, and that on an international level. The jungler Martin “Yike” Sundelin (24) seems to be toying with the idea of calling Captain Teemo to duty.
Why is this so unusual? Teemo is a character that is almost never played in pro LoL and has never been played. While he is a decent champ for SoloQ, he is considered useless in team play. He is an ego character, and anyone who picks him in pro play does so more as a meme rather than a serious choice.
There are only a few appearances of Teemo in pro play. He is regarded as an absolute “off-meta” pick. Today’s world-class ADC Viper played Teemo as a bot laner for the exceptional South Korean team Griffin – but that was years ago.
Teemo is considered a frowned-upon character in LoL due to his trollish playstyle, as he relies on poison damage, stealth, and poisoned mushrooms. He has such an annoyingly charming way that he has become a cult character in LoL: Those who play him love Teemo. Everyone else can’t stand the little troll.
In the official Teemo subreddit for LoL, the most important rule is: “No Teemo hate.”
Patch buffs Teemo, new draft format makes him appealing
Why could he come back now? Two extraordinary circumstances are coming together:
In LoL Patch 2.54, Teemo has been buffed. His damage to monsters with the E increased from 125% to 145%. This makes him a more interesting choice for the jungle than before.
Furthermore, in some formats, the “Fearless Draft” is now played, where each champ can only be played once.
This means that every pro player must expand their champion pool, and it is no longer enough to master just one jungler that they play repeatedly. No, it is necessary to master at least 5, maybe even 7 or 9 champs.
And Teemo is becoming increasingly attractive.
We could see Teemo at the 1st international tournament in 2025
Who is now considering Teemo? Today, on March 10, the event “First Stand” begins, where 5 teams will meet. Each region sends its strongest team. From Asia, Hanwha Life, Top Esports, and CTBC Flying Oyster are participating. The USA is sending Team Liquid into the race.
For Europe, the LEC champion Karmine Corp is competing. Rumor has it that Karmine Corp’s jungler, Yikes, might surprise the Asians with an innovative Teemo pick.
Yike hinted in a conversation with DotEsports that some people might be preparing their Teemo “in secret.” That also applies to him. He certainly hopes so. According to Yike, Teemo is “surprisingly strong in the jungle,” and with the latest buffs, he could be a real alternative.
Karmine Corp loses 1st match
In the 1st match, which concluded just a few minutes ago, Karmine Corp lost to Team Liquid. Yike played Vi, Sejuani, and Xinzhao in the jungle. He might have done better to go with Teemo.
Yike has had an exciting year. He was actually the star jungler for the best team in Europe, G2, but was dropped after a poor Worlds 2024. However, in 2025 he has now surpassed G2 with his new team and become the champion: Top team in LoL messes up the chase for the wonder child, for which they offered half their roster
