GBM
GBM
The LCK's resident bowtie fanatic is taking his talents to the NA LCS. Mid laner GBM has departed the Jin Air GreenWings, landing comfortably on one of North America's newest superteams: NRG.
Beginning his career as a sub for the 2013 iteration of CJ Entus Frost, GBM initially shared the mid lane with OGN champion Min-sung "RapidStar" Jung. Though GBM was not a starter, he quickly became a fan favorite for his masterful Orianna play, dazzling bleached hair, and humorous summoner name.
(‘Ganked by mom’ is a twist on the Korean gaming phrase ‘um-ke,’ which roughly translates to ‘mama critical.' It’s a reference to the sudden pressure that gamers feel when their mother barges into their rooms (figuratively ‘ganking’ them) and scolds them for playing late at night.)
It wasn’t just the Korean fans who gave GBM a warm welcome to professional play, though. Frost treated him as the core of the team, devoting numerous resources to him, and setting him up for success.
But their experiment with the rookie mid laner ended on shaky notes. In Frost’s 3rd place match against MVP Ozone in Champions Summer 2013, the match came down to a Blind Pick Game 5. GBM picked Zed, and though he piloted the Master of Shadows admirably, he was late for a Baron call in the final moments of the game. As he arrived to the pit, he failed his Living Shadow over the wall, costing Frost precious seconds of damage against Baron. The result: a textbook steal by DanDy, turning the tide against Frost for an Ozone victory.
These days, the Korean community looks back on the infamous ‘play’ as a humorous moment in Champions history -- perhaps even a charming highlight (or lowlight) of GBM’s rollercoaster career. But given the importance of the 3rd place match for Worlds qualification, it was a mistake that inadvertently condemned both CJ Entus teams to the sidelines during the biggest tournament of the year.
GBM’s career didn’t look much better in 2014, as he joined the Jin Air Falcons alongside FeniX and Chaser. Despite showing a few signs of brilliance, the Falcons failed to make it out of the Group Stage in both Champions Spring and Summer, ending the season on a low note.
Unlike many of his Jin Air teammates, GBM elected to stay on with the organization in 2015, becoming the team’s starting mid laner. Alongside Chaser, GBM grew into his own in Champions Spring, carving out a niche for himself as one of the region’s safest and most reliable lategame carries -- a sudden departure from his usual carefree style. GBM himself spoke of the hours he put into watching tape of his upcoming mid lane opponents, both in Solo Queue and in competitive games. He did this for one reason: to scope out how they reacted to Xerath’s Arcane Barrage and predict their movements in subsequent games.
With his expanded champion pool and deadly Xerath, he was the cornerstone of Jin Air’s go-to strategy -- to accumulate small advantages around the map and slowly move the vision line up until their opponents were starved of farm. By the end of Champions Summer, GBM had helped elevate Jin Air from a mediocre, below-average team, to one of the top contenders in Korea.
Ganked by mistakes, ganked by miracles.
There’s no doubt that GBM’s sudden 180 in playstyle was the catalyst for his (and Jin Air’s) incredible success in 2015. For better or worse, the passive GBM was the more effective GBM. But the world’s best mid laners have never zeroed in on one style.
“[My playstyle in Korea] wasn’t really a style I played. It was a style that my coach insisted on,” GBM reflects. "With my new team in NA, I will find a style that fits me. I think I’ll be able to rediscover my original self.”
Leaving Jin Air in the hands of talented rookie Kuzan, GBM has set his sights on the NA LCS, joining up with NRG for the next chapter of his career. In his eyes, North America is a region of new challenges -- a region that will allow him to fully express himself as a mid laner.
“I’ve never been abroad,” GBM explains. “I ended up coming to North America because I wanted to play in a new region and in a good environment.”
Playing in a new region carries a host of new challenges, however. Difficulties in communication have prevented mixed-language teams like NRG from succeeding in the past. Still, GBM is confident NRG can make it work.
With my new team in NA, I will find a style that fits me. I think I’ll be able to rediscover my original self.
“We don’t really have that big of an issue in terms of communication,” he says. “And I’ve been working on my English a lot since last year. Right now, I don’t believe that will be an issue.”
Unlike many of the Korean transplants who have found a home in North America or Europe, GBM has not even seen his peak yet. He is, in fact, one of the few imports to be joining a Western league on an upward trajectory. Time will tell how he adjusts to his new surroundings.
And as for his bowties?
“It was my idea that we all wear [them] together! I want everyone to wear them, but since I like them the most, I might be the only one…”
-- By Alex ManisierPhotos courtesy of Inven and Ming Park