Damwon Kia announced their 2022 LCK roster today consisting of Burdol, Canyon, ShowMaker, Deokdam and Kellin. These moves come after Khan leaving for military service and DK deciding to move on from Ghost and Beryl. The roster announcement was put up on Facebook after Damwon had a livestream announcing the roster.
Why Did Damwon Kia Make Roster Changes?
To put it simply, DK had no choice, but to make some changes this offseason. The biggest reason for this is Khan needing to leave for military service. It was his last hoorah, but unfortunately he got 2nd at both MSI and Worlds. With needing to find a replacement for Khan, it also makes sense to do some other moves at the same time and build Damwon Kia for the next generation. Ghost and Beryl were obviously the weakest point of both the 2020 and 2021 rosters. This isn’t to say they are bad, but in comparison to the other players on DK, it was clear who was the weak point.
For the Top Lane, Damwon Kia decided on Burdol. Burdol subbed on Gen.G this year and even got some playing time at Worlds. Sure, he inted those games, but the experience is certainly helpful. He is also only 17 years old and is a former T1 Academy player. Furthermore, the LCK is struggling right now finding good Top Laners. With Khan and Summit leaving, the question comes who replaces them? New and younger rookie talent needs to be promoted. DK is taking a chance here, but there is a reason so many teams see something in him.
As for the Bot Lane, Deokdam and Kellin is certainly the more interesting swap. Deokdam and Kellin both spent last year playing on Nongshim Redforce. Due to such, they have some synergy already. The thing is, on paper, this isn’t an objectively better Bot Lane than Ghost and Beryl. Maybe DK wanted to lessen amount of games their Support inted? That is certainly possible. Ghost also played a more supportish ADC style with characters like Jhin. He was able to play safe and follow up with Roots and Curtain Calls. Deokdam is a more traditional style ADC. These are the two reasons that make the most sense for the swap.
All in all, Damwon Kia is looking to be a really fun team to watch in 2022. Can they continue their dominating performance is the question?
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