Just a few hours ago, KeSPA (Korean Esports Association) officially announced the names of the coaches who will lead South Korea’s Esports teams at the upcoming 2022 Asian Games. Among them, the most notable is the position of the League of Legends coach, which will be held by kkOma. He is currently the Director of Sports for DK after transferring the head coach position to coach Daeny at the end of the 2021 season.
With coach kkOma officially confirmed to lead the South Korean League of Legends team, fans are more confident that their team will win a medal at this year’s Asian Games. Coach kkOma is the coach with the most LCK championships and also the most World Championship titles. Not to mention, he will have the opportunity to reunite with his star student Faker, who is almost certain to secure a spot as the mid laner for the South Korean League of Legends team.
However, while most positions are not facing many obstacles, the top lane and especially the bot lane positions are generating much debate. Most notably, the AD Carry position. With the current form, Keria is considered to have secured the Support position. But if both Keria and Faker are chosen, and the South Korean League of Legends team applies the rule that a team can only have a maximum of 2 players selected, there will be no spot left for Gumayusi – the AD Carry also from T1.
This leads to one question: If Gumayusi really cannot be selected, who will take on the responsibility in his place? The first two names that come to mind are Deft and Ruler. However, while Deft is experienced and his skills are undeniable, he has often been inconsistent, especially during tense moments, as evidenced by the recent loss to Kwangdong Freecs in the LCK Spring 2022 playoffs.
As for Ruler, he is talented and has proven his ability to “carry the team,” but he has never played alongside Keria. The bot lane often requires a special synergy between the two players, and this could hinder Ruler’s selection for the upcoming 2022 Asian Games.
Meanwhile, the top lane position is also causing headaches for many. Currently, there is no shortage of top laners in South Korea, but finding someone who can match up against Bin, Xiaohu, or Ale, Flandre from LPL is relatively challenging. Since Nuguri and Khan retired, the LCK has been facing a shortage of top laners capable of turning the tide of a match. T1’s Zeus is performing quite well, but he is still too young and, like Gumayusi, will also face restrictions on the number of players per team.
Currently, this issue continues to generate debate within the League of Legends community in South Korea and around the world. This is an extremely important Asian Games as it marks the first time League of Legends has the opportunity to compete for medals. Therefore, South Korea, China, and any participating country will want to achieve the best possible results.