Curse Gaming’s 2015 League Championship Series roster is finally complete.
Kim “Miso” Jae-hun will replace one of League of Legends’ most storied stars, Joedat “Voyboy” Esfahani, in the Curse Gaming mid lane, confirming an earlier Daily Dot report that Kim was on trial with the team. Kim, who will now compete under the nickname “FeniX,” most recently competed as a member of the Jin Air Green Wings Falcons in the Spring of 2014. For the past few weeks, Kim has been training at the Curse house, impressing the team with his mechanics, work ethic, and “coachability.”
“Mechanics were what we were looking for most,” Mark Zimmerman, Curse’s head analyst, said. ”Good laning and teamfighting are critical since warding, rotations, and communication as well as other team situations can be taught more easily.”
“The reason I have no doubt he’ll be the strongest mid-laner in LCS is his work ethic and coachability,” head coach Peter Zhang said. “Most top mid-laners have mechanics, but these qualities set Fenix above the rest. He doesn’t have an ego like many of the players I’ve worked with before.”
His personality apparently is also a selling point. He meshed quickly with the team and gave fellow Korean import Chae “Piglet” Gwang-jin a partner in crime. Kim’s practice habits also apparently mirror Chae’s, an infamour “practice rat,” who Curse manager Steve Perino says practices “16-18 hours a day.” Perino also praises his “awesome” and fun-loving personality, on showcase in an introduction video where Kim cracks a serious face as he walks towards the camera before quickly giving way to a goofy grin and laughter.
Kim’s participation at the start of the season is pending his visa application, with the team slated to use Ben “LOD” deMunck as a substitute should the process take longer than expected.
It’s another outside-the-box play for talent from an LCS team. Dignitas also added two less known but apparently hungry Korean players to fill out their lineup, betting on mechanical talent and a hunger to succeed that may not be present in many American players. It’s a gamble to be sure, but one likely worth taking for a team like Curse—plenty of upside, lots of risk. But if you want to compete on the world stage, you need to shoot for the stars.
Screengrab via ReignOfGaming/YouTube
Published: Dec 15, 2014 11:44 am