*DISCLAIMER: This is an opinion piece*
Of all the off-season moves that SKT T1 has made, I firmly believe that SKT and Kim “kkOma“ Jung-gyun are most excited about the pickup of Han “Peanut” Wang-ho.
There is no denying that Bae “bengi” Seong-ung is an integral part of SKT history and was one of the original members of the Season 3 legendary team that brought SKT their first World Championship title. His passing to Vici Gaming of the LPL this past month means that only the God himself, Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok, remains from the aforementioned legendary team.
All good things come to an end, but the premise is quite clear. There can only even be one bengi, one right hand of God.
That is what makes the prospect and ambition of Peanut so exciting, I could not imagine a better candidate to be bengi’s successor. Peanut has great mechanical skill that can be nurtured, but also has a personality that makes him unique as a player.
Peanut is far from a finished product though, which can be said about SKT’s new top-laner, Seong “Huni” Hoon Heo, but if anyone is going to bring out the potential of these two players, it is kkOma.
Why Peanut?
Peanut is no stranger to success. He was part of the ROX Tigers side who became the LCK 1st seed from Summer Split and won the KeSpa Cup with the team against Kongdoo Monster in the Finals. He is also (at the time of writing) sitting as Korea’s top player in the Challenger Ladder.
Peanut, on his debut World Championship also, had a higher KDA (5.83) than bengi (5.76) and in regular season, had nearly double Bengi’s KDA through the entire split, 6.25 to 3.48 respectfully. The stats are there to show Peanut’s potential to what he can achieve in the right environment, provided SKT keep him around for the long-term.
That’s the major question in all of this, will SKT keep Peanut around for the long-term? Not many players become “one team players” in the esports industry, but long-term contracts are becoming more commonplace.
The Legacy of Bengi
Bengi has done so much for SKT over the history that it was a shame to see him go, even for the common League of Legends follower.
Bengi has done a lot for the scene, not only in Korea, but the world. To judge his contributions towards League of Legends is tough, and his legacy of clutch and utility will be hard to match. He is one of the two players to boast three World Championships. Had bengi not have come up clutch in Worlds this year, it is very likely that the Final would have been between ROX Tigers and Samsung Galaxy. He will go down as one of the greatest League of Legends players, even though he isn’t nearly as flashy or as often spoken of as Faker.
Adam Newell is a content creator for @GAMURScom and can be contacted in ways displayed below. If you have any tips or want anything covered, be sure to let us know:
Email: adam.newell10@outlook.com
Twitter: @MonkeyKingHero
Published: Dec 27, 2016 04:21 pm