After their lackluster end to 2019, 100 Thieves are making some great moves for their roster for next year. They are acquiring mid laner Choi “Huhi” Jae-hyun and former world champion, Bae “Bang” Jun-sik.
Welcome @Huhi as our starting League of Legends Mid Laner for the 2019 season. He brings a unique energy & perspective to our team. We’re so excited to have him a part of 100 Thieves and can’t wait to see him in action next year! #100T
Catch him live now: https://t.co/G76ccRMTmU pic.twitter.com/zauspiUoOq
— 100 Thieves (@100Thieves) November 22, 2018
Additionally, their former mid laner, Ryu “Ryu” Sang-wook, will be moving to the Assistant Coach position for the 2019 League of Legends season. It looks like although Ryu’s mechanical skills have diminished from his prime, his mind for the game is still as sharp as ever. Meanwhile, this move may possibly push 100 Thieves back into a contenders position. One of the big problems for the team was a lack of true carries on the team. This roster acquisition changes that.
Huhi and Aphromoo reunite!
From 2015 to 2018, Huhi would play for Counter Logic Gaming, a staple team in the NA LCS. Additionally, until 2017, he would play alongside Zaqueri “aphromoo” Black, who had been playing there for even longer. Huhi and Aphromoo are well-known by the League community as best friends. However, in 2018, big roster changes would separate the two. Aphromoo would play out his first season with 100 Thieves to pretty good success, while Huhi would struggle with Counter Logic Gaming.
Now, the duo is back together and ready to make a mark on North America. The synergy between the two former teammates will be off the charts, as their relationship on and off the Rift has been a great one. Huhi has been a relatively consistent mid laner for CLG in his three years on the squad. Additionally, his recent change in residency from Korea to North America has made him a very valuable player to have. Hopefully, Huhi can find a resurgence this season, now that he is playing with a familiar face and some great players.
Welcome to NA, Bang!
Meanwhile, a warm welcome to former world champion ADC, Bang! After a pretty abysmal 2018 year, SK Telecom T1 would revamp their entire roster, dropping seven players from the team. Two of the players would include longtime bottom lane duo, Bang and Lee “Wolf” Jae-wan. Although an official announcement hasn’t been made by 100 Thieves, there have been plenty of clues laid out by the All-Star ADC. For example, he would retweet and immediately unretweet the Huhi announcement video from 100 Thieves. Afterward, he would respond to ESPN’s tweet about him joining the team:
Really?? 🙂
— 배준식 (@Bang) November 22, 2018
It looks like, besides official confirmation, Bang is headed stateside. The two-time World Champion will be bringing experience and great mechanical skill to 100 Thieves’ bottom lane. Alongside Aphromoo’s great macro and decent mechanics, this duo should be one to worry about for the next year. The only problem that could come up, later on, is the language barrier between support and ADC. This is Bang’s first foray into the NA LCS and his English is pretty limited, so communication will be lacking between teammates.
Final Thoughts
All in all, 100 Thieves is creating something special here in North America. By signing Kim “Ssumday” Chan-ho to a two-year deal, they have secured themselves a solid core that could win a couple of championships down the line. Ssumday, Huhi, and Bang have a pretty high ceiling, given their pedigrees. Now all that 100 Thieves needs to figure out is their jungle position, but after today, we are sure they have that handled as well.
What are your thoughts on Bang and Huhi joining 100 Thieves? Let us know what you think in the comments below! If you want more League of Legends coverage, check us out here!
