Ask anyone who the best organization in League of Legends was in 2014, and they will tell you that it was Samsung Galaxy. With three final appearances in OGN Champions, a victory in Champions Spring, and a dominant victory at the World Championship, 2014 truly was Samsung’s year. However, empires fall just as fast as they rise, and in Samsung’s case, their esports dynasty would end mere weeks after winning League of Legends’ most prestigious title.

SK Telecom T1 K fell when ace support Lee “PoohManDu” Jeong-hyeon took a sabbatical from the team for health reasons. Upon his return, he did not seem to be the same player that had won three premier tournaments in a row. Samsung White, on the other hand, will never get the chance to see themselves fall.

THE ROSTER

Samsung White
Top: Looper
Jungle: DanDy (left)
Mid: PawN (to Edward Gaming)
AD Carry: Imp, Skatch (sub)
Support: Mata (left)

Samsung Blue
Top: Acorn (left), Gamsu (sub)
Jungle: Spirit (left)
Mid: Dade (left)
AD Carry: Deft (to Edward Gaming)
Support: Heart, Piccaboo (sub)

Seven members of Samsung Galaxy have left the team in the last month, in search of greener pastures. Cho “Mata” Se-hyeong, Choi “Acorn” Cheon-ju and Lee “Spirit” Da-yoon have elected to leave the team and look for new opportunities, perhaps even overseas. In the meantime, these three players have taken to streaming while they weigh up their options.

Choi “DanDy” In-kyu and Bae “Dade” Eo-jin have also left, with China’s LPL and LSPL being pegged as their likely destinations, respectively. While their new teams are yet to be confirmed, Chinese fans can look forward to watching two of the world’s best players in action in their new homes. Finally, Heo “PawN” Won-seok and Kim “Deft” Hyuk-kyu have been acquired by Chinese powerhouse Edward Gaming, but it is not yet confirmed if they will play on EDG’s main squad, or secondary squad.

The common thread in these departures (as well as many of the other Korean players who opted to not re-sign with their teams) is money - DanDy has already stated that it is only logical for players to move to where they will earn higher salaries. For the time being, it seems that China is that place, and it is not unrealistic to expect seven Samsung players in China by the end of 2015.

FINDING A FOUNDATION

With only three core players (and three substitute players of unknown status) remaining on the roster, Samsung’s primary concern will be establishing a foundation for a team that may as well be considered brand new. Samsung will enjoy the benefit of having an experienced (and successful) coaching staff on hand, but it is undeniable that losing star players such as DanDy and Dade will be a massive blow to the organization.

One point of interest is top laner Jang “Looper” Hyeong-seok, who was heads and shoulders above his competition at the 2014 World Championship. Looper has been with Samsung for over a year, playing in two World Championships and one Champions final, and has consistently performed at a high level with his trademark Teleport.

Many teams in history have been built around the top lane, most notably Yoon “MakNooN” Ha-yoon’s NaJin Sword and Bok “Reapered” Han-gyu’s SK Telecom T1. If Looper is skilled enough to have a team built around his near-perfect early game rotations and Teleport use, Samsung may very well have an avenue which they can take to repeat previous successes.

However, it must be noted that with very few exceptions (CJ Entus Blaze’s Lee “Flame” Ho-jong in particular), a top laner’s performance is only as good as his team’s. Thus, there is a chance that Looper’s play is merely a reflection of Samsung White’s strength as a team. This is the main caveat that Samsung management must consider when examining Looper’s role on the new Samsung Galaxy.

FILLING THE GAPS

To preface any speculation about Samsung’s future roster, it should be noted that the contracts of all Samsung players have already expired, and no position is set in stone. It may even come to pass that Looper, Imp and Heart announce their departures. In that case, Samsung’s best option would be to acquire a current amateur or semi-professional team, such as Xenics Modslook. If we are to assume that Looper, Imp and Heart will all find themselves with starting spots on Samsung’s roster, however, two positions still need to be filled: jungle and mid lane.

Thankfully, Korea has no shortage of talent. Potential candidates for Samsung’s jungle position include Xenics Modslook’s Kim “Drizzle” Jae-hyeon, one of the most talented up-and-coming junglers in the Korean scene. Drizzle is known for his Lee Sin, coincidentally the same champion that Spirit and DanDy saw so much success on during their tenures on Samsung.

Mid lane has always been the most crucial position for Samsung, as evidenced by both teams’ massive upswings following the switch of Dade and PawN. The most obvious candidate is Incredible Miracle #2’s Kim “Frozen” Tae-il, the Lux maverick who made his name by defeating Samsung Blue in the group stage of Champions Summer 2014. However, solo queue talent runs deep in the mid lane, and it would not be surprising to see a fresh face on Samsung.

Lastly, if Heart chooses to retire in line with current rumours, the most valuable support on the market at the moment is undoubtedly their own substitute Lee “Piccaboo” Jong-beom. Piccaboo made his mark as the player who innovated the Level 2 roaming Annie and Thresh in the Korean metagame, and earned the respect of many for his incredible playmaking ability. As a mini-Mata of sorts, Piccaboo would be a strong complement to the aggressive Gu “Imp” Seung-bin.

FORGING A NEW EMPIRE

Samsung Galaxy may be a new team in 2015, but they will retain the same coaches and management staff that supported them in their World Championship victory. The decisions of Samsung’s management were what led to Samsung’s ultimate victory in 2014, but this same management also let seven important players go, including the World Championship MVP Mata. As they build their new empire, they must take care to not repeat the same mistakes that caused such big names as DanDy and Mata to leave.

2014 will be remembered as the year in which one esports organization established their League of Legends empire. However, history has shown that empires do not last forever, and with Samsung’s roster being in such a questionable state, Samsung may not reign at all in 2015. There is still some real talent left in their roster, and plenty of young blood to work with in the amateur scene. But if Samsung don't play their cards right, they could see their stock plummet as quickly as it was built up.

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