Returning to Korea: MaRin’s Journey Back to Afreeca Freecs
MaRin, one of the renowned players of the 2015 League of Legends World Championship, is making his way back to Korea after a year of competing in China.
Jang “MaRin” Gyeong-hwan is facing a challenging path ahead as he joins Afreeca Freecs in 2017. This team has not had much success since its establishment in early 2016. However, they had a remarkable performance during the Spring Split of League Champions Korea, being considered a “cinderella story” with a remarkable 7-2 run in sets. They secured the final spot in the playoffs but were unfortunately eliminated in the first round by Jin-Air Green Wings.
A Potential Turnaround for Afreeca Freecs
Although Afreeca Freecs may not have achieved much compared to MaRin’s previous teams, their 2017 roster shows promise. With a former world champion top laner like MaRin, the previous mid laner of ROX Tigers, Lee “Kuro” Seo-haeng, and CJ Entus’ recent AD carry, Ha “Kramer” Jong-hun, the team has a strong foundation to build upon.
After a successful campaign with SK Telecom T1 at the 2015 League of Legends World Championship, MaRin decided not to compete with his championship teammates in 2016. Instead, he accepted an offer to join LGD in the Chinese League Pro League.
Ups and Downs in China
Unfortunately, 2016 turned out to be a challenging year for MaRin as LGD struggled in both the Spring and Summer Splits of the league. Their best performance was a 7th-8th place finish in the League Pro League Spring Playoffs.
MaRin’s Return to Korea
While many of Korea’s star League players have joined teams like SK Telecom T1 and KT Rolster in 2017, the region consistently produces immense talent, making even the less-established teams look promising. Having MaRin on a team is still a force to be reckoned with, even if it’s not the same as 2015.
MaRin, Afreeca Freecs, League of Legends, Korea, Chinese League Pro League, SK Telecom T1, KT Rolster