KT Rolster AD carry Kim “Deft” Hyuk-kyu, jungler Lee “Rush” Yoon-jae, and mid laners Heo “PawN” Won-seok and Son “Ucal” Woo-hyeon have all become free agents, according to an announcement made by KT on Facebook. The team expressed gratitude to the players and wished them well in their future endeavors. Deft also took to his personal Facebook to officially declare his free agent status and express his appreciation to the KT coaching staff and fans.
Deft and PawN joined KT in early 2017 as part of the organization’s plan to create a “superteam.” Although the team faced challenges in 2017, they became a dominant force in Korea in 2018, especially after Ucal became eligible to compete. With Ucal as the starting mid laner, KT rose to the top of Korea and won the 2018 LCK Summer Split title. However, their journey came to an end in the quarterfinals of the World Championship when they were eliminated by the eventual winners, Invictus Gaming.
Rush, although not a regular starter like PawN, Deft, or Ucal, did see some playtime on stage throughout 2018. Known to be a fan-favorite in the West due to his time in the NA LCS and English streams, it is uncertain whether Rush will continue playing in Korea or pursue opportunities overseas.
Remaining on the KT roster are jungler Go “Score” Dong-bin, support Choi “Mia” Sang-in, and top laners Song “Smeb” Kyung-ho and Hwang “Kingen” Seong-hoon. The team has not yet announced any additions to their roster for the upcoming season.