If you’ve watched a single LCK broadcast in the last five years, you’ve heard the name Chovy. It’s basically unavoidable. Commentators treat his laning phase like a religious experience, and honestly, they aren’t even exaggerating that much. Jeong Ji-hoon, known to the world as Chovy, has redefined what it actually means to play the mid lane in League of Legends. He doesn't just win lanes; he deconstructs them. He makes world-class players look like they’re playing with a broken mouse.
But here’s the thing that drives the community crazy. Despite the "Chovy CS" memes and the terrifying mechanical consistency, he’s spent a huge chunk of his career being the guy who couldn't win the big one. For years, the narrative was "Chovy is the best player to never win a title." Then he started winning the LCK. Then he won it again. And again. Yet, the World Championship trophy remains that one annoying piece of hardware he hasn't touched. It’s this weird paradox. How can a guy be widely considered the most skilled individual to ever touch a keyboard, while still chasing the ghost of Faker’s four world titles?
The Chovy Creep Score Legend
Let’s talk about the minions. In League of Legends, CS (Creep Score) is the heartbeat of the game. Most pros are happy to be "even" or slightly ahead. Chovy is different. He has this almost supernatural ability to find gold where it shouldn't exist. You’ll look at the scoreboard at fifteen minutes and he’s somehow 40 CS up on a guy who hasn't even died. It’s not just about last-hitting; it’s about wave manipulation.
He understands recall timings and wave states better than anyone else on the planet. He will take a "bad" trade on purpose just to force a wave to crash in a way that denies his opponent three melee minions. It’s petty. It’s brilliant. It’s why people call it "Chovy CS." He averages numbers that shouldn't be possible in professional play. While other mid laners are roaming to help their jungler, Chovy is often staying in lane, squeezing every cent out of the map.
Some critics used to say this was a weakness. They’d argue he was "CS-gapping" himself out of the game while his opponent was actually winning the map. But then Gen.G happened. He learned how to translate that gold lead into teamfight dominance. He stopped being just a "laning kingdom" player and turned into a late-game insurance policy. If the game goes past 30 minutes and Chovy is on a carry like Azir or Yone, the game is basically over. You can't out-economy a guy who plays like a literal bot programmed for efficiency.
Mechanical Peaks and the "Church of Chovy"
If you want to see what peak LoL looks like, go watch his Akali or his Sylas. There’s a specific clip from years ago where he’s playing Akali against a Zoe, and the way he uses his shroud and E to weave through skillshots is just... it’s gross. It shouldn't work. His movement is so twitchy and precise that it looks like he has zero ping while everyone else is playing on 100.
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This level of play birthed the "Church of Chovy." It started as a joke by LCK caster LS (Nick De Cesare), but it became a real thing. The idea is simple: if you value pure mechanical skill and laning prowess above all else, Chovy is your god. It’s a philosophy. It’s the belief that if you play the game perfectly from an individual standpoint, you should win.
But LoL is a team game. And that’s where the drama starts.
The Gen.G Era and the LCK Dominance
For a long time, Chovy was stuck in what fans called "Chovy Prison." Whether it was Griffin, DRX, or Hanwha Life Esports, he was always the superstar carrying a roster that couldn't quite cross the finish line. Griffin was the biggest tragedy. That 2019 roster was filled with insane talent—Tarzan, Viper, Lehends—but they choked in finals repeatedly. They were the "almost" team.
When he joined Gen.G, everything changed. He finally had a roster that matched his ambition. Alongside players like Peanut (and later Canyon) and Ruler (and later Peyz), he stopped being the guy who finished second. Gen.G went on a historic run, winning four LCK titles in a row. They became the "final boss" of Korea. Watching Gen.G play in the LCK is often boring because they’re just too good. They win by being 5% better at everything until the gold lead is 10k and the nexus explodes.
The International Hurdle: Why Worlds is Different
Despite the domestic trophies, the "Chovy vs. Faker" debate always hits a wall at the international stage. Faker has the legacy. ShowMaker has a ring. Rookie has a ring. Chovy has a lot of LCK medals.
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At the World Championship, the meta usually shifts. The game becomes more chaotic. The "perfect" League of Legends that Gen.G plays in Korea doesn't always translate when a LPL (Chinese league) team starts diving your towers at level three with no regard for their own lives. Chovy has often been criticized for being "too safe" in these moments. In 2022 and 2023, Gen.G went in as favorites and left early.
It’s a heavy burden. Being the "best in the world" means nothing if you don't have the Summoner’s Cup. Fans are brutal. They’ll forget a 10.0 KDA in the regular season the moment you lose a Quarterfinal to an underdog. Chovy knows this. You can see it in his interviews; he’s become more stoic, more focused on the win than the stats.
The Rivalry That Isn't Really a Rivalry
Everyone wants to compare him to Faker. It’s natural. Faker is the GOAT. Chovy is the successor. But their styles are polar opposites. Faker is the playmaker, the leader, the guy who will sacrifice his own lane to make a cross-map play that wins the game. Chovy is the vacuum. He sucks up all the resources and becomes an unkillable monster.
Actually, the "rivalry" is mostly a fan invention. Both players have immense respect for each other. Faker has praised Chovy’s laning, and Chovy has consistently said he views Faker as the ultimate benchmark. In 2024, when Gen.G finally won MSI (Mid-Season Invitational), it felt like a weight was lifted. He finally got an international trophy. It wasn't Worlds, but it proved he could win outside of Korea.
How to Play Like Chovy (Or Try To)
If you're a mid laner looking to climb in solo queue, you can actually learn a lot from watching his VODs. You probably won't have his hands—most people don't—but you can copy his logic.
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- Prioritize the Wave Over the Kill: This is the biggest takeaway. Chovy rarely takes "flip" plays. If a kill is 50/50, he won't take it. He’d rather force you to back and lose two waves of XP. That's a guaranteed lead. In your games, stop chasing the low-HP support into the jungle. Just take the plates.
- The "Checkmate" Recall: Watch how he times his bases. He only recalls when the wave is pushed to the enemy tower. This ensures the wave bounces back to him, meaning he loses zero minions. It sounds simple. It’s incredibly hard to do consistently.
- Mid-Game Sideling: After 15 minutes, most low-rank mid laners just sit mid and share XP with their ADC. Chovy doesn't do that. He goes to a side lane, takes the farm, and draws pressure. He only joins the team when there’s a real objective.
The Nuance of the Mid Lane Meta
The game is changing. In 2025 and 2026, we’ve seen shifts toward more aggressive, early-game skirmishing. Chovy has adapted. He’s playing more champions like Taliyah and LeBlanc—picks that require roaming. He isn't just the "farm simulator" player anymore. He’s evolved.
But even with the evolution, his core identity remains. He is the gold standard of efficiency. If you give him an inch, he takes a mile. If you give him a cannon minion, he takes your career.
What’s Next for the King?
The story of Chovy isn't finished. It can't be. Not until he stands on that stage in November and lifts the heavy silver cup. He has the skills. He has the team. He has the domestic titles. He just needs that one specific tournament to go his way.
Whether you love him for his perfection or find him "boring" because he plays the game too correctly, you have to acknowledge the greatness. We are living in the Chovy era of League of Legends. Even Faker's shadow, as long as it is, hasn't been able to hide the sheer brilliance of what Chovy does every single week in the LCK.
Actionable Insights for Following Chovy’s Career:
- Watch the VODs, not just the highlights: Highlights show the kills, but the VODs show the ten minutes of wave management that made the kills possible. Pay attention to his gold lead at 10 minutes.
- Track his champion pool: Chovy often sets the meta. If he starts spamming a weird pick in solo queue (like his mid-lane tank builds in previous seasons), expect to see it in pro play two weeks later.
- Don't ignore the LCK: If you only watch Worlds, you're missing 90% of his best work. The LCK is where he truly reigns supreme.
- Check the stats: Use sites like Oracle’s Elixir to look at his CSD@15 (CS Difference at 15 minutes). It’s usually the highest in the world, and it explains why Gen.G always feels ahead even when the kill score is even.
The quest for the World Championship continues. For Chovy, it’s not about proving he’s the best anymore—everyone already knows he is. It’s about proving he can be a champion.