With KeSPA Cup 2019 set to begin on December 23, fans will get to see the new changes to League of Legends in action in pro play once again. With all the roster changes heading into this year’s KeSPA Cup there will be quite a few teams to keep an eye on. So, outside of the favorites like Gen.G and DAMWON Gaming, what are some of the smaller teams that fans should keep an eye out for?
APK Prince
In what will be APK’s first showing as a LCK team, this will be a great chance to get an idea of how the team will stack up against the other teams of the region, including future LCK opponents. With mostly the same roster going into 2020 aside from the departure of jungler Lee “KaKAO” Byung-kwon with Sung “Flawless” Yeon-jun taking over, this will be a great chance to show that they’re able to keep up against the rest of the LCK.
If APK can make a solid run at KeSPA Cup, this team could be a pleasant surprise going into the LCK. However, a poor showing could be signs of a rough season ahead.
Jin Air Green Wings
They may be out of the LCK for now but with the offseason changes Jin Air could quickly soar to the top of Challengers and make their way back into the LCK. With a somewhat new roster with new players like former Afreeca Freecs support Park “Senan” Hee-seok and returning players like jungler Eom “UmTi” Seong-hyeon, Jin Air should look better on paper. While the loss of ADC Moon “Route” Geom-su is a tough hit, Jin Air should look like the best team in Challengers. Despite this the challenge will be to beat a LCK team later in the season. With that chance still far away, KeSPA Cup will be the team’s only chance until then to match up against LCK teams to get a general idea of how they’ll do.
As one of the few original OGN teams still around, hopefully Jin Air can have a good showing at KeSPA Cup and ride the momentum back into the LCK in the Summer.
Hanwha Life Esports
Hanwha has one of the more interesting rosters heading into the 2020 season. With changes everywhere except for the mid lane, Hanwha has the potential to be a top team in 2020. However, there are too many questions surrounding the team at the moment to decide just how well they’ll do. With that being said, their performance at this year’s KeSPA Cup will be crucial. Between gaining momentum for the 2020 LCK season, Hanwha will also look to avenge their performance from KeSPA Cup 2018 where they were upset and taken out by the Seoul team from the KeG Championship.
While KeSPA Cup doesn’t mean much in the grand scheme of things, a good start here could mean a lot for Hanwha going into the 2020 season. Will they start the season off strong? Only time will tell.
To watch League of Legends tournaments, visit watch.na.lolesports.com. For more information on the Split, teams, standings and players, visit www.lolesports.com. Recaps of former weeks and other LoL content can be found at https://thegamehaus.com/league-of-legends/.
Featured image courtesy of @KeSPAen twitter.
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