Will KaKAO wow China?

With a new season comes new stars and new stories. Here is one of the players you should look out for in 2015! Team: Invictus Gaming Region: China (LPL) Position: Jungle Lee “KaKAO” Byungkwon has been a staple of the KT Rolster organization since 2012, so it came as a shock to most of the world when he and Song “Rookie” Euijin became the first “S Tier” Korean talents to make the migration from Korea to China. Since he replaced Choi “inSec” Inseok on KT Rolster B in the jungle, it’s been hard to imagine KaKAO doing anything other than dominating the deeply competitive jungles of Korea’s The Champions. It’s also been difficult to accept that KaKAO, widely regarded as one of the best junglers in the world, has also never had a World Championship appearance. Perhaps the KT Rolster Arrows’ failure to qualify for the 2014 World Championship after winning 2014 Champions Summer season was the last straw for KaKAO. The news that KaKAO would join his former teammate, inSec, in China came while the World Championship was under way in October. It was announced on the 18th that he would be joining Invictus Gaming with Rookie. KaKAO has been known as an aggressive, heavy-ganking jungler who prefers amassing a kill count to farming jungle creeps. In the past, he has preferred to play champions like Lee Sin, Elise, and Kha’Zix who can gank early and hit hard. KaKAO returning to the KT Rolster Arrows more recently was a massive factor in the team’s surprising Summer run and unique identity. KaKAO’s tendency to appear from the brush and take risky ganks early made the Arrows look a bit like a traditional Chinese team that had managed to adapt and excel while lost in Korea. With a tendency toward playing the fast game and forcing mistakes out of his opponents rather than waiting for them, it’s easy to see KaKAO doing well in LPL, but doubts about his appearance on an LPL team amassed during the offseason. Rumors of foul play regarding his contract circulated the internet, and it’s likely they’ve been extremely exaggerated. KaKAO confirmed on his facebook that he was not at all mistreated and has been living well. It’s been suggested that he and Rookie were released from their original contracts when the holder could not get them into LPL, and were then acquired by iG. Now as a member of iG, KaKAO will play with either Rookie or former NaJin Black Shield top laner, Baek “Save” Youngjin. In LPL, they’ll face familiar competition. Other top Korean junglers like Choi “DanDy” Inkyu have made the move to China. He’ll also brush up against some strong Chinese jungle talents he hasn’t faced yet in his career. Coming out as king of the jungle might be just as daunting a task as it was in Champions. KaKAO is up to continue his reign. His tendency to gank often and commit hard will fit right in with LPL’s fast pace and iG’s reputation for unexpected strategies. The only question marks that remain are how KaKAO will adjust to his Chinese teammates. KaKAO will be one of the latest additions to LPL lineups, which lock completely on January 1. KaKAO has a track record for elevating the play of both squads he’s been part of in Champions. We’re betting he’ll do the same in LPL. Check out the full list of players to watch in 2015 right here. Image credit to OGN.