New Top Laner Soon for Team SoloMid
Team SoloMid is close to making a decision on its new top laner after trying out players for every position except the mid lane. Gravity Gaming top laner Kevin “Hauntzer” Yarnell is currently the frontrunner for the spot, according to sources close to the organization. However, the team has also discussed the position with Counter Logic Gaming top laner Darshan “ZionSpartan” Upadhyaya.
The latter is an unlikely choice at the moment. Yarnell has shot to the top of the list after a solid performance in tryouts. However, his contract with Gravity Gaming does not expire until Nov. 15, so he is locked in unless he is bought out by another team or released by Gravity.
Regardless of the contracting situation, Team SoloMid will need to make a decision on its full lineup soon. The team is scheduled to play at the Intel Extreme Masters tournament in San Jose in less than a month. They will need time to scrimmage beforehand as their opponents will include Counter Logic Gaming, Fnatic, Origen, Jin Air Green Wings, and LGD Gaming.
In a now-deleted tweet attributed to Andy “Reginald” Dinh, the SoloMid owner suggested that the roster may not be complete in time for the tournament. If the team does go with Yarnell, they will still need to fill holes in the jungle and support positions.
Yarnell’s addition could make the lineup one of the most talented that Team SoloMid has seen in years. He was one of the more consistent and strong players on Gravity Gaming during the Summer Split, and he played a major part in the team’s qualification into the League Championship Series last year when it was known as Curse Academy. If SoloMid can find high-powered talent for its jungle and support, putting Yarnell in a lineup with Peng and Bjergsen would result in a top tier North American team.
Team SoloMid announced its new roster on Nov. 14, which included Yarnell in its top lane. Yarnell and the rest of the team will face off with other teams at Intel Extreme Masters San Jose from Nov. 21 to 22.
Photo via Riot Games/Flickr | Remix by Jacob Wolf