Korean esports organisation Nongshim RedForce has announced the signing of Korean player Lee ‘Scout‘ Ye-chan as its mid laner for the 2026 LCK season.
Scout has signed a one-year contract with the team and will be sharing the starting position with Syun ‘Calix’ Hyun-bin, who has opted to stay with Nongshim RedForce.
The mid laner returns to the LCK after nine long years spent in the LPL, China’s tier-one League of Legends competition, across EDward Gaming, LNG Esports and JD Gaming.
With Scout officially joining, Nongshim RedForce has completed its lineup for 2026. Aside from top laner Hwang ‘Kingen‘ Seong-hoo, support Son ‘Lehends‘ Si-woo and Calix, who have contracts expiring in 2026, the team also brought in ADC player Kim ‘Taeyoon‘ Tae-yoon and jungler Bae ‘Sponge‘ Young-jun.
Scout Must Prove Himself After a Disappointing 2025 Season
Throughout the years, Scout has often been considered one of the best mid lane talents from the LPL and in the world. Previously raised in SKT Telecom T1 as Lee ‘Faker‘ Sang-hyeok’s substitute, Scout moved to the LPL in 2016 for EDward Gaming, becoming a key member of the team and winning multiple LPL titles over the years.
His biggest highlight, however, was in 2021, when the team lifted the Summoner’s Cup by defeating Korean rivals DAMWON Gaming at the world championship. Having played for a long time in the league, Scout gained LPL local residency status and was often considered one of the best mid lane talents throughout his career.
That being said, Scout’s performance has dipped heavily in the past year. After playing for LNG Esports and often carrying the team in the 2023 and 2024 seasons, Scout, and his new team JD Gaming, failed to qualify for Worlds this year. This was despite having a competitive roster on paper, which included Korean teammate Kim ‘Peyz’ Su-hwan, now T1’s new ADC.
Scout will be looking to make a comeback on Nongshim RedForce this season, in what is considered on paper a playoff contender team. He and the rest of the team will likley make their debut on December 6th, when the 2025 KeSPA Cup kicks off.
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