TSM, formerly known as Team SoloMid, is an American esports organization best known for its historic success in League of Legends and for expanding into a large multi-game competitive gaming brand. The organization was founded by brothers Andy “Reginald” Dinh and Dan Dinh, growing out of the League of Legends community website SoloMid.net in 2009 1.

Today, the name TSM is generally used rather than “Team SoloMid.” Its history spans competitive esports, content creation, player development, sponsorships, and participation in numerous games.

The name “SoloMid” comes from League of Legends terminology: a solo mid player traditionally occupies the middle lane of the map by themselves. The name originally belonged to the community surrounding SoloMid.net.

In September 2009, Andy Dinh and his brother Dan created SoloMid.net as a website providing League of Legends guides and community information. A group of players associated with that community eventually became the foundation of TSM.

TSM was formally established as a competitive team in January 2011.

TSM’s identity was initially inseparable from League of Legends. Its early roster included players such as Reginald, TheOddOne, Chaox, Xpecial and The Rain Man.

One of the organization’s first major international appearances came at the 2011 Season 1 League of Legends World Championship, where TSM finished third.

The organization subsequently became one of the dominant North American League of Legends teams.

TSM became particularly famous for its success in the North American competitive League of Legends scene.

Its LCS championship record includes seven titles:

• Spring 2013
• Summer 2014
• Spring 2015
• Summer 2016
• Spring 2017
• Summer 2017
• Summer 2020

The organization also developed an enormous fan base around players such as Bjergsen, Doublelift, WildTurtle, Dyrus, Hauntzer, Biofrost, TheOddOne and others.

For much of the 2010s, “TSM” was effectively synonymous with North American League of Legends esports.

Rather than remaining a single-game team, TSM gradually transformed into a multi-title esports organization.

Some of the games and scenes in which TSM has competed include:

• League of Legends
• Apex Legends
• Hearthstone
• Counter-Strike
• Rainbow Six Siege
• PUBG
• Fortnite
• VALORANT
• Rocket League
• Super Smash Bros.
• Teamfight Tactics
• SMITE
• Clash Royale
• Overwatch

The expansion helped turn TSM from a League of Legends team into a recognizable gaming brand.

One of TSM’s most important non-LoL success stories has been Apex Legends.

TSM entered the Apex competitive scene in 2019, initially signing players including ImperialHal, ProdigyAces and THump.

The organization subsequently became strongly associated with the Apex scene, particularly through Phillip “ImperialHal” Dosen, Jordan “Reps” Wolfe, and other prominent players.

For a period, TSM was arguably one of the most recognizable organizations in competitive Apex Legends.

One of the most significant chapters in TSM’s business history occurred in 2021.

TSM entered into a reported $210 million, 10-year naming-rights agreement with cryptocurrency exchange FTX. The organization adopted the name TSM FTX in many contexts 3.

However, the branding could not be used universally. Riot Games imposed restrictions on FTX branding in League of Legends and VALORANT broadcasts, meaning TSM’s League team continued to use TSM rather than the full TSM FTX name in those contexts.

The partnership ultimately ended in November 2022 following the collapse of FTX 4.

This episode represented both the enormous commercial ambitions of esports organizations at the time and the risks associated with cryptocurrency sponsorships.

TSM’s League of Legends story eventually came to an end in North America.

After more than a decade of competition, TSM sold its LCS franchise slot in 2023, ending its participation in the LCS. The League of Legends division was subsequently listed as disbanded in September 2023 5.

This was a major turning point because League of Legends had been the foundation of the TSM brand since its creation.

TSM’s importance goes beyond tournament results.

The organization helped popularize the idea of an esports organization as a complete entertainment brand, combining:

• Professional esports teams
• Streamers and content creators
• Gaming personalities
• Sponsorships
• Merchandise
• Social-media content
• Community websites and guides
• Player development

This model became increasingly common throughout the esports industry.

TSM’s early connection to SoloMid.net was particularly significant because it meant the organization originated from a gaming community and content platform, rather than simply being a team created to enter a professional league.

Andy “Reginald” Dinh

Andy Dinh is the central figure in TSM’s history. He was an early competitive League of Legends player, founder of SoloMid.net and founder/owner of TSM. He transitioned from being a professional player into running the organization as a business.

Dan Dinh

Dan Dinh, Andy’s brother, was involved in the creation of SoloMid.net and the early competitive community that preceded TSM.

Søren “Bjergsen” Bjerg

Bjergsen became one of the defining players in TSM history. As a star mid laner and later coach, he became one of the most recognizable figures associated with the organization.

Doublelift

Yiliang “Doublelift” Peng became another major TSM personality. His time with the organization helped produce some of the most recognizable periods of TSM’s LCS history.

TheOddOne

Brian “TheOddOne” Wyllie was one of the original TSM players and became an iconic figure among the organization’s early fans.

TSM’s historical significance can be summarized in several areas.

League of Legends:
TSM was one of the foundational organizations in North American League of Legends and won seven LCS championships.

Apex Legends:
TSM developed into one of the best-known organizations in the competitive Apex ecosystem, accumulating substantial tournament winnings and a large international following.

Multi-game competition:
TSM has competed across a remarkably broad range of esports, including FPS, battle royale, card games, fighting games, MOBAs and sports-oriented titles.

TSM is important historically because it represents the transition of esports from relatively small gaming communities into professional entertainment organizations.

Its evolution can roughly be described as:

SoloMid.net community → League of Legends team → dominant LCS organization → multi-game esports organization → global gaming brand

That trajectory is one reason TSM became one of the most recognizable names in Western esports.

TSM is a pioneering American esports and gaming organization that grew from a 2009 League of Legends community into one of the most recognizable multi-game esports brands in the world, with a particularly distinguished legacy in North American League of Legends and Apex Legends.

Note: “TSM” is a living organization whose competitive divisions change frequently, so a “current teams” list can become outdated quickly; the history above is more stable than its present-day roster structure.

1. TSM (esports
2. TSM
3. TSM League of Legends division
4. TSM – Liquipedia Overwatch Wiki
5. TSM – Liquipedia Rocket League Wiki