Photo by TheScore eSports
Counter Logic Gaming announces new roster changes for 2016, starting with moving mid lane sub Choi “HuHi” Jae-hyun to the starting roster. Subsequently, Eugene “Pobelter” Park parts ways with the team to pursue other options.
Back in May, just after the North American LCS spring split, fan favorite team CLG’s mid laner Austin “LiNk” Shin made his retirement from the professional League of Legends scene. In response, CLG brought on two new mid laners, them being Pobelter of Winterfox and HuHi of Team Fusion Gaming. Originally, the roster was meant to place HuHi as the starting mid laner with Pobelter as a rotational sub similar to SK Telecom T1’s method, but visa issues kept the Korean import from joining until three weeks into the summer split. Due to his overall higher mechanical skill, Pobelter moved to the team’s starting line-up. CLG would go on to finish first place in the LCS summer split, beating rival Team SoloMid with a score of 3-0 in a best of five, qualifying them for NA’s first seed in the Worlds international tournament.
Unfortunately for American fans, CLG’s dominating performance, along with the other NA teams, faltered during group stages. The team was kicked with a score of 2-4, tying them for last place in group A alongside paiN Gaming. Wanting to increase performance in a team environment, CLG decided to move HuHi to the team’s starting mid laner.
During the offseason before Worlds, HuHi displayed his dedication to the team as he trained to be a potential jungle substitute during visa issues for the main jungle, Jake “Xmithie” Puchero. While less mechanically skilled than Pobelter, strategic coach Tony “Zikz” Gray stated that HuHi had an overall better mindset for a team that made him easier to coach and get along with other team members.
Pobelter was offered a substitute position for mid under HuHi, but the professional decided his talents were better suited to another roster. It is not yet known where his future will be headed.
