After a tough 2018 year in the LCK, perennial World Champions SKT T1 is looking for new League of Legends players.
SKT T1 LoL팀의 미래를 함께 준비할 유망주를 모집합니다.
T1에서 프로게이머로서의 꿈을 펼칠 분들, 지금 바로 지원하세요! GoGo!모집기간 : 2018년 9월 19일(수)~2018년 9월 29일(토)
신청양식 ▶️ https://t.co/EYxF9qfC2o
신청자격 등의 자세한 사항은 이미지를 참고해주세요. pic.twitter.com/BzjLgSQ8g6
— T1 LoL (@T1LoL) September 19, 2018
This might have been the worst year in the history of SKT T1’s history. The team did not win any regional championships and would fail to reach Worlds for the first time since 2014. Before this year, many people were considering SKT as one of the only true dynasties in League of Legends history. There is no rival to the dominance they have been displaying over the years. SKT was always the gold standard for team play and overall gameplay.
Additionally, they were always a top team in the most competitive region in the world: South Korea. Even when they would fall out of the top three during the regular season, SKT would always find a way to reach the LCK Grand Finals. They also were fielding one of the most talented lineups in the game’s history. Many consider their superstar mid laner Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok to be the best player to ever play League of Legends. No one can dispute this claim, even though there have been many who’ve challenged him and failed.
However, this year was completely different. SKT T1 was no stranger to adversity. Remember, the last time they were top three in the regular season was back in Spring 2017. They have been struggling, but they have always made it work out. This time, SKT could not find success with the lineup they had. Let’s look at the big problem they were facing and how they could possibly fix it.
A Lack of Talent
It is odd to say that SKT is lacking talent, but after this season, it is clear that they cannot catch up to the rest of the league. If you look at the rest of the LCK, the top tier organizations have kept their rosters the same for some time now. SKT on the other hand has made multiple roster changes over the past two years. First, they would replace Heo “Huni” Seung-hoon and star jungler Han “Peanut” Wang-ho with top laner Park “Untara” Ui-jin and SKT backup jungler Kang “Blank” Sun-gu. Then, they would begin fielding Lee “Effort” Sang-ho as support, instead of longtime support Lee “Wolf” Jae-wan.
One of the biggest indicators that something was amiss is the fact that SKT would sub in mid laner Choi “Pirean” Jun-sik in place of Faker. Pirean was a mid laner than had been playing solely in North America before his stint with SKT. All in all, their roster was constantly in flux, which made it hard for them to build any synergy together. Also, the roster itself was quite underwhelming. Comparing SKT’s roster to other teams in the LCK, they actually had one of the worst rosters amongst the top teams.
Untara and Blank were simply not good enough to keep up with the talented top-jungle duos in Korea. Blank would receive much criticism for his performances in big-time matches, with his predictable pathing and lackluster engages. Even Faker’s stats and performances would falter because he probably feels like he must be the spark that lights the flame underneath his teammates. Unfortunately, it just would not work throughout the entire season.
What’s Next?
Korea has talent everywhere you look, so if SKT is recruiting for new talent, it shouldn’t be hard to find. Just look at the full rookie team, Griffin. In their first season, they were able to reach the LCK Summer Finals. SKT will need to uncover potential like that if they wish to compete next year. If they do choose to field rookies next season, will the veteran leadership of Faker, Bang, and Wolf be able to lead them to the promised land? Can coach Kim “kkOma” Jeong-gyun mold rookies into future champions?
Also, we must also consider SKT recruiting current LCK players onto the team. It should not be hard to convince players to play with the likes of Faker and kkOma. Their reputation precedes them, but will the current state of the team affect people’s perception of the roster? Two things are for certain: SKT needs a revamp of their top and jungle positions. If you think you could play for SKT, their Google Forms sign up is here.
What do you think of SKT’s current state? Could they possibly challenge the upper echelons of the LCK next year? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below! If you want more LCK coverage, check us out here!
