For the first time, The Hangzhou Asian Games will have League of Legends esports featured as an official medal event, making it an important competition for all the participating countries.
After revealing the selection criteria for its League national team earlier this month, the Korean e-Sports Association published the official list of players that will be considered for the competition today, April 21.
By taking into consideration both personal stats as well as domestic and international results, the Korean e-Sports Association confirmed the 20 players who will be taking part in the preliminary selection process. Former Dplus KIA athletic director and T1 head coach Kim “kkOma” Jeong-gyun will be leading the team as the head coach.
According to the schedule of the Korean Sport and Olympic Committee, the final roster will be confirmed in early June, with only six players making it to the final roster.
The preliminary roster of the Korean national League team is:
- Top: Kiin, Zeus, Doran, Kingen
- Jungle: Canyon, Oner, Kanavi, Peanut
- Mid: Zeka, Faker, Chovy, ShowMaker
- ADC: Peyz, Deft, Viper, Ruler, Gumayusi
- Support: Keria, Delight, BeryL
While most players are from the LCK, Kanavi and Ruler—two imports from the LPL’s JD Gaming—are also featured in the preliminary roster.
But there are some players missing from the preliminary roster who could’ve made the list. The most notable name is Scout, who won the 2021 World Championship with EDward Gaming and comes from an impressive 2023 season so far, having scored the highest amount of MVPs in the regular spring split.
Another player who failed to make the list is Lehends, who won the LCK championship in the 2022 Summer Split with Gen.G and was runner-up in the Spring Split. This season, he switched over to KT Rolster and finished third in the LCK Spring Playoffs.
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Regardless, the Korean national roster looks stacked. With the tournament starting in a few months’ time, as well as some of the players competing at the Mid-Season Invitational in May, the Korean Association will have a tough task selecting which six players will make it onto the final roster.
Postponed to 2023 due to concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games will officially start on Sept. 23 and last until Oct. 8.
