Florida Mayhem parts ways with Yaki

The Florida Mayhem of old is no longer after the Overwatch League team parted ways with longtime DPS Kim “Yaki” Jun-ki today.

This caps off what has been the start of a complete roster overhaul for the Floridian team. Initially, Yaki was the only remaining member after the team let go of six of its players earlier this month.

The letting go of Yaki is one of the many moves the Mayhem has made in the past week. Before letting go of Yaki, the org announced the hiring of new head coach Jordan “Gunba” Graham, signed support Majed “SirMajed” Alrashied, welcomed back Baek “Checkmate” Seung-hun, and most recently added Caleb “McGravy” McGarvey as an assistant coach. Checkmate was a rookie DPS turned main tank and now he’s back on his original DPS role.

Yaki has been around the pro scene for a while now, getting his first start on MVP Space in Overwatch APEX season three. Following a brief stint on the New York Excelsior’s academy team, XL2 Academy, he found himself on the household Korean Overwatch team, Runaway. After briefly playing for that team, the DPS main finally made the jump into the OWL when he first joined the Florida Mayhem in November 2019.

Since then, Yaki has been nothing short of crucial for the team, producing various carry performances.

“He’s been an absolute stud for us the past two seasons,” said Albert Yeh, vice president of esports operations for the Mayhem. “When I discussed next season plans with Yaki, his number one priority was being on a Korean roster. I never want to force a player into a situation they wouldn’t be happy with and we were able to send him to his #1 option.”

Yaki’s departure will now allow Checkmate to move up to the starting DPS position, according to Yeh. As for Yaki, his next destination is yet to be announced.