Dplus Kia VP Joon Lee exits as esports org navigates Web3 fan token strategy
The longtime COO’s departure raises questions about the League of Legends powerhouse’s blockchain ambitions with STIX partnership still in play
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byEditorial Team
Jul. 10, 2026
Joon Lee, the Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Dplus KIA, has announced he’s stepping away from the South Korean esports organization after leading its operations since the LCK 2021 Summer split
The departure matters beyond the esports bubble because Dplus KIA has been actively pushing into Web3 territory, including a meme-driven fan token program launched in partnership with the STIX platform in 2025. Lee was at the helm during that strategic pivot, and his exit leaves an open question: who picks up the blockchain playbook?
From world champions to Web3 experiments
Dplus KIA isn’t just any esports team. Under its previous identity as DWG, the organization won the League of Legends World Championship in 2020
The org rebranded from DWG KIA to Dplus KIA in January 2023. Lee was instrumental in that transition, emphasizing “limitless connectivity” as a guiding principle for the new identity
One of those verticals turned out to be blockchain. The STIX partnership, announced in 2025, brought a meme-driven fan token program to Dplus KIA’s ecosystem
What Lee’s departure signals for the org’s crypto push
There is no publicly indicated successor for Lee as of <a href="https://comicvibe.com/gakuran-codes-july-2026/” title=”Gakuran codes (July 2026)”>July 10, 2026. There’s also no confirmed departure date. Dplus KIA itself has gone through multiple roster changes in 2026 alone while remaining active in domestic competition
There’s no public evidence linking Lee’s exit to the STIX partnership or any dissatisfaction with the Web3 direction. These transitions within team management typically reflect internal strategic recalibrations rather than dramatic pivots
The bigger picture for esports fan tokens
Dplus KIA’s meme-driven approach with STIX suggests the org understands that tone matters. Memes are the native language of both crypto Twitter and gaming communities
The absence of a named successor creates a period of uncertainty. Dplus KIA remains one of the LCK’s premier teams with a world championship pedigree. Whether its Web3 ambitions maintain momentum without the executive who helped launch them is the question worth tracking over the coming months
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
