After a rough year, the Guangzhou Charge is making some tough changes before the fifth season of the Overwatch League begins in April.
The team announced today that it’s parting ways with four players from the 2021 roster. This includes main tank Kim “Jihun” Ji-hun, DPS Zou “MYKaylee” Zijie, main support Kim “Mandu” Chan-hee, and veteran flex support Park “KariV” Young-seo.
All of the released players were acquired by the Charge during the 2020 offseason.
Wrecking Ball expert Jihun and hitscan MYKaylee will continue playing for Guangzhou’s Overwatch Contenders China academy team, Ultra Prime Academy, until the end of the Contenders season.
These changes decimate the Charge’s entire support line, with Mandu and KariV having filled those duties with no backups during the entire 2021 season. Mandu previously played for the New York Excelsior and KariV has been in the Overwatch League since its inception, playing for teams like the Los Angeles Valiant and Toronto Defiant.
Though the team’s rookie and veteran players showed promise, this season was a difficult one for Guangzhou’s roster. They ended the season with a 5-11 record, ranking second-to-last in the East Region only above the Los Angeles Valiant, who scored zero wins this year.
