With the Los Angeles Gladiators signing Indy “SPACE” Halpern earlier this week, the team has indicated that they’re ready to head in a new direction at the off-tank position. That leaves Jun Woo “Void” Kang looking for a new home in 2020. A flex tank who really lived up to the position, Void was a standout with the Gladiator, a consistent force for a contender in both of his seasons in LA. He should be a hot commodity this offseason, but where will he sign? Here are a few possibilities.
Photo: Ben Pursell For Blizzard Entertainment
Let’s start with potentially the most obvious suitor for Void. As the league moves into 2020 and teams prepare to host Homestands next season, the Dynasty are gearing up to make Seoul the center of the OWL universe. A super team is in the works for the league’s lone Korean franchise, and they’re already attracting the best talent money can buy. A blockbuster trade added superstars Jaehui “Gesture” Hong and Junyoung “Profit” Park from the London Spitfire. Now, Seoul is looking for talent to go alongside their centerpieces.
Void would be yet another eye-catching pickup for a team that is clearly trying to make a splash before coming home. One of the most consistent flex tanks in the league, he is the ideal player to team up with the playmakers Seoul already has on the roster.
Of course, this all depends on Seoul’s opinion of Min Hyuk “Michelle” Choi. They have plenty of reasons to be happy with their current flex tank, but the question is, do the Dynasty want an upgrade. If they’re looking for more star power to build the hype for 2020, then Void could be the way to go.
Shanghai spent much of 2019 looking for answers at the flex tank position. Neither Se yeon “Geguri” Kim nor Joon-hwan “GuardiaN” Cho ever managed to fit alongside the team’s core, brought in from Korean team Kongdoo Panthera. By Stage 3, they had decided to forgo a flex tank altogether, eschewing the meta and rolling with a triple-DPS look. They peaked with a Stage 3 title before 2-2-2 role lock brought them back down to earth and brought their flex tank issues back to the forefront. The late-season addition of Kang-Jae “Envy” Lee didn’t solve their problems, and the Dragons were a shadow of themselves as they flamed out of the playoffs.
The offseason brings new hope for the Dragons, who are looking to continue the upward trajectory they started in 2019. Void would go a long way to making that a reality. If the Dragons can lure him to Shanghai and pair him with a strong main tank, then they could be a terrifying force next season.
Photo: Blizzard Entertainment
After a strong expansion season, the Charge are expected to pretty much run it back in 2020. Their young core of Charlie “nero” Zwarg, Jin Seo “Shu” Kim and Ou “Eileen” Yiliang gives them a strong place to start as they look to add a few pieces and build on their success. One position that might see a big overhaul is flex tank. Hong-Jun “HOTBA” Choi was fantastic for the Charge last year, a veteran presence on a very young team, he filled his role beautifully. Now though, he’s a free agent, and with no guarantees of bringing him back, the Charge may need to start looking for a replacement.
Void and HOTBA have both been among the most reliable and adaptable flex tanks in the game. They both picked up Sigma quite well, and have shown an ability to play nearly anything. HOTBA especially has flexed all over the roster, famously playing Tracer for the Fusion in the Season 1 playoffs. Those DPS picks are no longer a possibility and perhaps lowers HOTBA’s value a bit compared to someone like Void.
Photo: Robert Paul for Blizzard Entertainment.
Another team looking for a new flex tank, New York caught everyone off guard when they released Tae-Hong “MekO” Kim. After two seasons of high expectations not being met, the NYXL decided that changes needed to come from somewhere and said goodbye to one of their most consistent performers. Meko was universally considered a top 5 flex tank, and replacing him is no small task.
Luckily the crop of free agents is stacked, and Void could step right into that hole left by Meko. It’s a massive risk to let go of such a strong player, but Void is capable of making this move worthwhile. He has the flexibility to stay in the lineup at all times, adapting quickly the meta and picking up any new heroes that might be added to the game. He’s already proved it with Sigma. Void’s skill is not in question here. It’s simply a matter of his ability to transition into a new team. If Void can gel with the rest of NYXL, they might not miss Meko at all.
Featured image courtesy of Blizzard Entertainment.
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