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SK Telecom T1, the organization with the most World Championships in League of Legends history, has completely reworked its roster after one of its most disappointing two seasons ever.
Joining the team for the 2019 season is former KING-ZONE DragonX top laner Kim “Khan” Dong-ha, widely considered to be one of the best in the world at the role, former Gen.G jungler Kang “Haru” Min-seung, former Jin-Air ADC Park “Teddy” Jin-seong and one of the most famous supports in the world, Cho “Mata” Se-hyeong.
Khan has spent the last two years with KING-ZONE DragonX — formerly Longzhu Gaming — organization and faced disappointment in final results in both seasons. Twice heralded as one of the world’s top teams, the rosters flamed out in quarterfinals at Worlds in 2017 and failed to even qualify last year. However, the he is still known to be one of the best in his role and one of the most talented in all-around players in the world.
Mata has spent the last two years with kt Rolster, after a short stint in China. The team failed to live up to their super team expectation in 2017, but in 2018 made an impressive run through Worlds right up until they were defeated in a tense five game series by eventual World Champions, Invictus Gaming.
Haru, meanwhile, attended the 2018 World Championship with Gen.G where the team put up the worst performance ever by a Korean team. Haru himself didn’t play in every game at the tournament going 1-4 though he was not the root of the team’s issues. Teddy had perhaps the most different season from any of his new teammates, quietly putting together an outstanding season as the ADC for a middle-of-the-road Jin-Air Green Wings team.
While the SKT roster over the two years has struggled to nail down a consistent roster, pulling everything from player who have proven themselves in other regions like Heo “Huni” Seung-hoon, to former rivals like Han “Peanut” Wang-ho. The one consistency over that period has been mid laner Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok, and that won’t change this year. But, with the organization hitting refresh on the bottom lane for the first time since 2014 this should be a fresh start for SK Telecom T1 as they look to regain their World Championship crown.