Tian takes medical leave from FunPlus Phoenix

Tian-Liang “Tian” Gao is taking a medical leave from FunPlus Phoenix less than two weeks into the 2021 League of Legends Pro League spring season.

Tian said in a Weibo post that the pressure of competition is adversely affecting his health.



“In the last game against EDG, the pressure suddenly caused physical discomfort. I am very afraid that a similar situation will happen again in the next game,” he wrote on Weibo, the post translated through Google Translate. “After discussing with the club, I decided to take a break and seek professional help. Thank you for your concern. Please continue to support FPX when I am not on the field, I will be back.”

Tian, a 20-year-old jungler, began his career in May 2017 and spent 19 months with Suning before joining FPX in December 2018. Less than a year later, he was named MVP of the League of Legends 2019 World Championship as FPX swept G2 Esports in the final.

FPX is off to a 2-1 start in LPL play.

–Field Level Media