Rumors have been going around for a while that Yu “JackeyLove” Wen-Bo would be taking a break from competitive League of Legends despite sticking with Top Esports for 2026, and he confirmed the news himself on stream that he’ll be riding the bench for a while to deal with some health issues.

For aging League of Legends pros, staying on top of your health has become a top priority. Among the few who have been competing for nearly a decade, most have experienced at least some adverse effects on their health due to brutal practice hours, among other factors.

And, though JackeyLove is still in fighting shape, his doctors have advised him to take a break for the first split to take care of himself and make sure he can have a long career.

However, considering how important JackeyLove is to Top Esports’ success (or, in some cases, failure), the team will have a very different look without him on the roster.

JackeyLove Confirms Break But No Plans to Retire

Ahead of Worlds 2025, JackeyLove spoke very vaguely about dealing with some health issues, leading to speculation that it’d be his “last dance” as a pro player.

He’s since dispelled those rumors, but he’s also confirmed that he’s dealing with issues severe enough that his doctor has recommended he step away from pro play for a bit to undergo treatment.

“I’ll be taking a break to rest and recover, to get my condition back in form. Then I’ll look for the right moment to come back. I need to take care of things first,” he said on stream.

TES JackeyLove on taking a break early part of next year:

“I talked to Guo Hao (TES GM) pretty early on. I went to the doctors and they told me to receive treatment for a period of time, which might affect the early portion of the upcoming competitive schedule. So I’ll be taking… pic.twitter.com/0wehwhAtAC

— Yuuu (@tttttyuc) November 27, 2025

And, according to prominent LPL leaker Park, his replacement for the first LPL split is Zi “JiaQi” Jia-Qi. This is supported by the fact that JiaQi has been officially added to TES’ LPL roster in the contract database, a move the organization has yet to officially announce.

JackeyLove has struggled to hit the same peak that brought him a Worlds win all the way back in 2018, with his aggressive playstyle being both a boon and an Achilles’ heel for any team he’s been on. He’s either carrying the match or throwing it with almost no in-between.

Regardless, JackeyLove is still hungry to win as he approaches his 10th year as a LoL pro player. Hopefully, some time away to recover his health is exactly what he needs to hit his peak again as one of the best ADCs in the world.