Gen.G turned to the 36-year-old veteran to lead their team’s VCT Pacific campaign this season.
SOUTH KOREA – Gen.G have announced that Kang “solo” Keun-chul has been installed as the team’s new head coach. The 36-year-old will assume the role previously held by former DetonatioN FocusMe coach Kim “HSK” Hae-seong, who spent only three months in the position during OFF//SEASON before transitioning to a Head of Strategy role within the team.
Having established a championship résumé with teams such as WeMade FOX (CS 1.6), MVP.PK (CS:GO), and NUTURN Gaming (VALORANT), solo chose to retire from competitive play in late 2021 and shift to a coaching role. His coaching helped cement Dplus KIA (formerly known as DWG KIA) as one of the better teams in the tier-two circuit, particularly in the 2023 season when the team won both WCG VCL Korea Split 1 and 2, which subsequently qualified them for VCT Ascension Pacific in Bangkok, Thailand.
After stepping down from Dplus KIA last month, solo has now been entrusted with the task of guiding the new Gen.G roster, where he will be working together with his former NUTURN Gaming teammate Kim “Lakia” Jong-min.
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This announcement has been met with a sense of relief, as solo is a highly regarded player and coach within the Korean FPS scene, boasting a successful track record for almost two decades. His experience will prove instrumental in supporting HSK after coaching the previously winless DetonatioN FocusMe during the inaugural season of VCT Pacific League.
solo’s first event under the Gen.G banner will be the VCT Pacific KICKOFF event, where they are set to take on RRQ in the opening round on February 17 at 4 PM SGT (UTC+8).
Gen.G are now:
- 🇰🇷 Kim “Meteor” Tae-O
- 🇰🇷 Kim “t3xture” Na-ra
- 🇰🇷 Kim “Lakia” Jong-min
- 🇰🇷 Byeon “Munchkin” Sang-beom
- 🇰🇷 Kim “Karon” Won-tae
- 🇰🇷 Kang “solo” Keun-chul (Head coach)
- 🇰🇷 Kim “HSK” Hae-seong (Head of strategy)
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Cover photo courtesy of Gen.G