OGN Group A Preview

This article was originally published on GameSpot's sister site onGamers.com, which was dedicated to esports coverage.

SKT T1 K

It’s undisputed that SKT T1 K is the best team in the world, but last night they lost their first game since October to sister team SKT S. However, it’s not the end of the world for SKT K - if anyone had a chance at taking a game off of them in group A, it would probably be SKT S.

Since the team’s conception, SKT has only had one roster change. Support player PoohManDu left the team due to medical reasons late last January. Now top challenger player and former Green Wings Stealths player “Casper” has joined the team. His performance so far has been acceptable, but does not match PoohManDu’s deep champion pool and ability to pick up a new champion on the fly. Faker continues to impress in the mid lane; his synergy with Bengi is unmatched with any other jungle/mid duo in the world.

SKT T1 S

Don’t call them the B team. SKT T1 S is another brilliant creation by SKT’s coach, kkOma. While they just narrowly missed out on making past group stages last OGN season - losing a tiebreaker to CJ Blaze - their performance in OGN events since then has been astounding. In OGN Masters, SKT S has defeated IM #1, CJ Blaze, Jin Air Falcons, and most recently, SKT T1 K - the most recent OGN Champions and Season 3 World Championship winners.

MaRin has often been acclaimed as the “Faker of top lane” - a top challenger player who has evolved into a high-caliber professional player. He rarely makes mistakes, and waits until the right time to take a calculated advantage on his lane opponent. With the leadership that took SKT K to a World Championship title, SKT S is poised to be a dominating force in the Korean scene this season.

KT Rolster Arrows

It’s been an up-and-down ride for the KT organization since Season 3 World Championships. Multiple roster changes between Arrow’s sister team, KT Bullets, have essentially set up Arrows as the “A” team. Moving KaKAO to jungle on Arrows was met with confusion, as KaKAO consistently performed well on the Bullets. Unfortunately for Arrows, the KT organization as a whole has dropped down a tier after the roster changes.

The Arrows have had a lackluster showing in the OGN Masters, losing to Najin twice and picking up a win against IM #1. The KT organization has always had talent, but the most recent roster changes may prove to be a fatal mistake.

Prime Optimus

It wouldn’t be easy for Prime Optimus to break out of this top-heavy group, but these OGN newcomers have potential In the qualifiers, they defeated Alienware Arena and KT Arrows to grab a place in the OGN. It’s unknown how Prime Optimus will perform against Arrows and SKT S, but we shouldn't count them out just yet.

Image Credit: OnGameNet