CTBC Flying Oyster (CFO) has formally introduced the signing of Zhao ‘Shad0w‘ Zhiqiang as its jungler for the 2026 LCP season.
With expectations excessive after final yr’s breakthrough efficiency, CTBC Flying Oyster is having to rebuild its roster, and the previous BiliBili Gaming jungler was chosen to be a part of that course of.
Shad0w is without doubt one of the few gamers to have gained championships in two areas, the LEC and the LPL. The Italian jungler started his profession in Europe with MAD Lions (now KOI) earlier than spending 5 years competing in China. Throughout that point, he moved between a number of groups, incomes a popularity for clever pathing, sturdy early-game management, and flexibility in opposition to elite opposition.
In 2025, as a part of a six-man roster, Shad0w gained LPL 2025 Break up 3, turning into the primary European to take action.
On the identical time, 2025 noticed CTBC Flying Oyster file a historic run by almost each metric. It was the one group to take part in each League of Legends worldwide event all year long, exhibiting unmatched consistency and progress throughout codecs.
The gamers’ performances additionally introduced unprecedented worldwide consideration to the LCP and earned the group a quickly rising international fanbase. Whereas at Worlds 2025, Swiss stage victories over T1, Fnatic and FlyQuest firmly established CFO as a group no opponent may afford to underestimate.
However it was the group’s qualification for the Worlds 2025 Playoffs that etched the organisation’s identify into LoL Esports’ historical past, turning into the primary group from the Pacific area to interrupt into the knockout stage in over a decade. That very success, nonetheless, got here at a value.
CFO Roster Modifications Forward of 2026
Throughout Worlds 2025, standout performances from mid laner Tsai ‘HongQ‘ Ming-Hong and veteran bot laner Chiu ‘Doggo‘ Tzu-Chuan had pushed CFO towards a miracle run. Nevertheless, this inevitably attracted consideration from overseas, and the roster started to unravel within the aftermath of Worlds.
HongQ, joined by jungler Yu ‘JunJia‘ Chun-Chia, departed for JD Gaming, whereas high laner Shen ‘Driver’ Tsung-Hua has moved on after serving as CFO’s major high laner all through 2025. Assist Ling ‘Kaiwing’ Kai Wing additionally left the organisation, bringing an finish to some of the impactful line-ups within the group’s historical past.
In whole, 4 members of CFO’s 2025 roster departed following Worlds, every looking for new challenges and aggressive peaks in different areas.
Whereas replicating final yr’s outcomes might be a frightening process, the organisation’s willingness to wager on confirmed worldwide expertise suggests its sights stay firmly set on competing with the world’s greatest.
