Recently, popular Korean streamer Lee Sang-ho announced he will be starting a new esports team. According to a tweet by Ashley Kang, the organization will be called Seorabeol Gaming. Their goal will be to qualify for Challengers Korea, with the end-goal of earning a place in the LCK.
Interestingly, the name Seorabeol is shared by a large luxury hotel chain. It is yet to be confirmed whether any connection exists between the chain and this new team.
The founding members of Seorabeol Gaming
Thus far, Seorabeol Gaming has confirmed three members of its roster. These include former Hanwha Life Esports top laner Park “Thal” Kwon-hyuk, League of Legends veteran Nam “Lira” Tae-yoo in the jungle position, and former Hanwha Life Esports bot laner Gwon “Sangyoon” Sang-yun. Additionally, founder Sang-ho will participate as a substitute support player.
Lira has been playing at the professional level since 2013. Meanwhile, Sangyoon announced his retirement from competitive play back in October, but it seems he will delay his military service for the foreseeable future.
Applications open
Seorabeol has not yet found players to fill their expectations for the mid lane and support roles. Applications are open from all players at Grandmasters or above on the Korean server, with no requirement set for any previous competitive experience. This could be a great opportunity for younger talent to prove themselves and earn a spot at the professional level.
Many players from the LCK also still lack a new spot for the 2020 season. Because of this, it is entirely possible that more of the past year’s contenders will fill these spots. In addition, this might not be the only new team we see formed during the off-season. Much of the new talent is looking for a place to compete, after all.
Among the current free agents for the mid lane, for example, are players like former Afreeca Freecs mid laner Son “Ucal” Woo-hyeon. Another candidate is Jeong “Chovy” Ji-hoon, a former player of Team Griffin. While it is currently rumored that Chovy will join one of the Chinese teams, we have seen more unexpected moves in the past.
For more League of Legends content, be sure to check out the news surrounding the new Mad Lions LEC team.
