[LJL] Could our best player from Japan play in major regions?

DFM Evi at All-Star 2018 (Source: Riot Games)

Standout players from the LJL come once in a full blue moon, meaning that is it very super unique to have exceptional talents from a minor region like the Japanese scene. Other regions from all across the globe have done it as well, such as TCL, LLA and VCS. TSM Broken Blade and GG Closer in North America have been successes and the same could be said about SNG SofM in China.

So what are we waiting for? Could Japan do the same thing and export a big talented player overseas to a major region? There was always one experimental player, who could do it but has never done it so far. What if DFM Evi goes and plays in a major region?

In this article I will talk about DFM Evi on how he is the superstar from Japan and his chances overseas into a different region.

Who is Evi?

Shunsuke “Evi” Murase (in Kanji: 村瀬 俊介) (also formerly known as Ebihurya) is the toplaner for DetonatioN FocusMe. He is currently 24 years old and has played in various different Japanese teams prior to DFM, including 7th Heaven and Rampage. Evi started playing in 2013 and has ever since his debut on DetonatioN Rabbit Five (one of the sister teams of DFM) been on the top of any LJL player in the league. Other than his gameplay, Evi is also known to be not camera shy. Whenever a camera points onto him, Evi shows facial expression such as an smile or a thumbs up. It is also why he is a lovable player and a franchise player in the LJL for DFM. For Japan, Evi is a very important player to have, as many players look up to be like him one day.

Super Carry Ebihurya

Throughout his career, Evi has been a stable carrying factor for many LJL teams that he played for. The main selling point of Evi is his awareness and smart play which makes him one of the best toplaners. On DFM’s side we can officially call it the Evi show. Most of the carriage goes from and to Evi, while their jungle and mid in Steal and Ceros are more on a supportive duty playstyle. This way Evi always has the upper hand in comparison to the enemy toplaner, which sealed many victories for DetonatioN FocusMe.

Some insight stats

With a great toplaner like Evi, there are also some interesting statistics bounded with him. Statistics are grained within salt, but you can conclude them in your own likings.

- Best KDA — 5.5

- Highest avg. kills — 4.5

- Second lowest deaths — 1.9

- Highest avg. assists — 5.6

- Highest GPM — 410

- Highest DMG percentage of own team — 29.3%

- Highest DPM — 540

- Second lowest First blood victim — 14.3%

The importance of a role model

When you are aspiring to be a League of Legends player, you want to be the best there ever could be. If for example Evi goes abroad, an aspiring Japanese player would see that there is a bigger ceiling than only the LJL. Not only for players, but for the LJL in general is it important that something like this in the future should happen. Whenever you become one of the greatest players, people will look down on you. That is exactly what is happing to Evi and also why it is important that he is the role model to look out for in the Japanese League of Legends scene.

DFM squad on the cover of Esports Magazine in Japan

Abroad with Evi?

So could we see Evi abroad in the future? Maybe right, it should be exciting if it could happen one day. The fingerprints that we have are his international events where he looked OK-ish and not spectacular. However international stage is a different beast in comparison towards the national league. Different environment, different set of stage, maybe even the change of setup could be a factor to why his performances are underwhelming to his LJL performances.

However, that doesn’t mean you cannot try him out overseas. I think it would be a really interesting project to start. To say to a team owner: “Hey there is a big LJL talent on the toplane, think we could try him out?”. Instead of your usual South-Korean import, Evi brings a lot different facets. Evi has international experience, has won multiple championships and knows how to be a leader in and out of the game. Also he brings a huge fanbase to your team, which could be really interesting as well. After all, Evi should be on many teams watchlists, as his performance in the LJL clearly speaks for himself.

Fan of our favourite LJL toplaner Ebihurya? Tune into the next LJL match!

Interested in the LJL? Come and watch the next LJL broadcast either on the official Japanese broadcast or the English broadcast! Sadly enough the broadcast has been postponed due to the Covid-19 outbreak in the world. However, a return date has already been planned by the LJL!

On the 3rd of May, the LJL will return with round three of the play-offs. Starting on 6AM CEST, DetonatioN FocusMe will play against V3 Esports in a stunning best of five series. Be sure to watch the game!

Join our LJL English Discord to discuss and learn even more about the LJL!

I hope you had a wonderful read about The growth of the LJL, and why you should watch it! And on every Thursday I will post an new article which features various things about the LJL as well. So stay tuned!