Controversial but promising: Nongshim RedForce needs Diable to become a top team in the LCK

Even though the LCK is in the middle of the action with the season’s Rounds 1-2, one of the most shocking moves happened at the end of the first round robin. Korean ADC player Nam “Diable” Dae-geun has officially joined Nongshim RedForce (NS), leaving BNK FearX (BFX), the team that turned him into one of the hottest prospects in the scene.

With this move, Nongshim might have found the missing piece to become the powerhouse that can finally match the top teams in the league, KT Rolster and Hanwha Life Esports.

But is it really all roses for the squad? Not really…

To understand why Diable joined NS, we have to roll back to April 28th, when BFX announced through their social media account that the ADC player had been demoted to the Challengers (second division) team after failing to attend a scheduled fan meet. 

On April 26th, BFX faced current world champions T1 during the latter’s Homeground event, with T1 beating BFX with a clean 2-0 record. The loss put BFX into a tricky situation, with a 2-6 record and in the bottom half of the standings. This was a big contrast to the first part of the season, where the Korean team finished second in the LCK Cup and participated in the first international tournament of the 2026 calendar, First Stand.

It’s worth noting that BFX is a team based in Busan and has been actively building its own fanbase away from Seoul, where most LCK organizations reside. The fan meet was a great opportunity for both local Seoul fans and those who traveled to Busan to interact with the player, who was clearly seen as the team’s superstar. 

During an interview with BFX head coach Park “Edo” Jun-seok, he said: “The biggest issue (with Diable) was the fan meeting. After discussing it among myself, the coaching staff, the general manager, and the CEO, we all agreed to send him down to the CL (Challengers) roster […] Even after we sent him down and issued the statement, there were still situations where his attitude was not good. I want to make it clear to Diable that he should never act that way.”

Diable’s refusal to comply despite internal efforts to persuade him forced BFX to punish him, therefore sending him to the second team. Once benched, however, the situation escalated quickly. 

Considering BFX’s recent slump in results and Diable’s expiring contract at the end of the season, the team didn’t want to risk losing its most valuable player for nothing. As a result, BFX tried to explore a trade deal with fellow LCK squad DN SOOPers (DNS), reportedly involving Challengers ADC Kwak “Enosh” Kyu-jun, who previously played with BFX in the second division. 

On paper, it made sense. Enosh would join a team he’s familiar with, and BFX would also benefit economically from Diable’s transfer. The move, however, did not happen. According to Daily Esports, Diable’s status as a minor required his own approval for the transfer to happen. 

DNS is currently dead last in the LCK, with only one win on the scoreboard. The team’s poor results were likely the reason behind Diable’s refusal. 

Diable’s decision put BFX in a tricky situation, since if the team wanted to transfer him during this window, it had to be done before the start of the second round robin, setting the deadline for April 30th. 

The lack of time ended up opening the golden opportunity for Nongshim RedForce, which is currently sitting in sixth place with a 4-5 record. In the end, Diable ended up accepting his transfer to NS, trading its now-former ADC, Kim “Taeyoon” Tae-yoon, to BFX.

Shortly after announcing the new player, NS also posted a handwritten apology letter from Diable on its socials. With the second round robin starting soon, Diable will now have to prove his worth on the Rift on a new team.

Regardless of how you look at it, Diable’s addition to NS is an upgrade. Diable is considered one of the best carry profiles in the league, having won against some of the best bot lanes in the world. 

The player is known for being one of the most aggressive, willing to punish the slightest mistakes in the laning phase. In comparison, Taeyoon was often considered the weak link on NS and has shown more volatility in his gameplay.

That said, changing a player in the middle of the split is never easy, especially for a team like NS, which is contending for the playoffs. 

The most important aspect for Diable will be the synergy with his new support, Son “Lehends” Si-woo. The former spent his rise playing alongside Kim “Kellin” Hyeong-gyu and the two built a strong bot lane partnership at BFX, to the point where they were considered one of the best bot lane in the world.