Lee “k1Ng” Seung-won leaves just three months into his tenure with T1, where he played five series in the OFF//SEASON period.
SOUTH KOREA – In a surprising move, T1 have announced the departure of Lee “k1Ng” Seung-won, who had joined the team just three months earlier from domestic rivals Gen.G. The 23-year-old, named as the 16th best APAC player of the year at the VALO2ASIA Awards 2023, is therefore free to explore his options in the market as a free agent.
The abrupt exit of k1Ng comes as a shock, especially since he was the top performer for Gen.G during their 4th-place run in the inaugural season of the VCT Pacific League, where he played as a sentinel player.
After Gen.G opted for an almost total team revamp, k1Ng joined T1 in September as part of the six-man lineup, comprising five Korean players and Kevin “xccurate” Susanto. It led many to anticipate a Korean active roster with the Indonesian player serving as a substitute.
Towards the end of the year, T1 turned out to be headed in a different direction by adding Daniel “Rossy” Abedrabbo from the North American region, where he and xccurate were confirmed to be in the starting five. This decision meant that out of the five Korean players on the roster, only three could be part of the starting lineup and it became clear at the AfreecaTV VALORANT League that k1Ng and Son “xeta” Seon-ho were relegated to the back seat for the event.
During his tenure with T1, k1Ng participated in five series, including appearances at the KCX3 showmatch in Paris and the TEN Global Invitational in Seoul.
It remains unknown whether further changes will be made. On the other side of the table, k1Ng has now become the most sought-after free agent in the market.
T1 are now:
- 🇰🇷 Son “xeta” Seon-ho
- 🇰🇷 Ha “Sayaplayer” Jung-woo
- 🇰🇷 Lee “Carpe” Jae-hyeok
- 🇰🇷 Ham “iZu” Woo-joo
- 🇮🇩 Kevin “xccurate” Susanto
- 🇺🇸 Daniel “Rossy” Abedrabbo
- 🇰🇷 Yoon “Autumn” Eu-teum (Head coach)
- 🇨🇦 Dakota “Stunner” MacLeod (Assistant coach)
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Cover photo courtesy of T1
