OpTic Gaming have certainly blown away critics concerned about the organizations apparent lack of moves in the North American League of Legends Championship Series off-season, with news today that the team will be signing former 2017 World Champion player Lee “Crown” Min-ho from Gen.G.
Join us in welcoming the 2017 World Champion Lee “@OPTCrown” Min-ho as our Mid Laner on a two-year contract. *Pending Riot Approval*#GREENWALL pic.twitter.com/5wXsrSEM7Y
— OpTicLoL (@OpTicLoL) November 25, 2018
Crown is set to replace former mid-laner Tristan “PowerOfEvil” Schrage, who was revealed to have signed on with Counter Logic Gaming yesterday. As a veteran of the LCK, Crown has proven his skill in the role, helping to lead his former team, Samsung Galaxy (now Gen.G) to victory in the 2017 World Championships over SK Telecom T1. However, after their victory in late 2017, the team’s performance seemed to take a hit during the 2018 season, culminating in a shock early exit from the 2018 World Championships that saw the team bow out in the group stage.
Crown is not the only Gen.G player making his way to the NA LCS this season, with support Jo “CoreJJ” Yong-in set to join NA LCS champions Team Liquid. Should Crown prove able to adapt to life in North America and synergize with his new team, OpTic Gaming could prove to be a real contender team for 2019, after their relatively disappointing 2018 season. At this stage, no other roster moves have been reported for the team, however both jungler Matthew "Akaadian" Higginbotham and AD Carry Noh "Arrow" Dong-hyeon are set to have their contracts expire this month, meaning more trades and roster adjustments are possible.
