- The team signs a coach with many years of experience
- This is an important part of Hanwha’s restructuring
- Polt used to be T1’s general manager and coach but is now ready for another role
T1’s legendary coach Choi “Polt” Seong-hun is now a crucial part of the plan of Hanwha Life Esports for dominating this year’s LCK.
Polt Joins Hanwha
Professional esports players’ careers can often be somewhat short, with pros deciding to move on or quit competitive play all together and do something else for a variety of reasons. But often, some of the best players become coaches for a new generation of talents when they retire. Working directly with a team’s members is vital for an organization’s success but another type of person is often needed to give more of a competitive edge – the analyst.
Some players become coaches, but some coaches, having had years of experience under their belts, become analysts and this is what T1’s former head coach Choi “Polt” Seong-hun has done. The 34-year-old veteran of professional League of Legends has joined Hanwha Life Esports as lead League of Legends analyst recently.
“The Hanwha Life Esports team established an analysis branch to improve the LoL team's performance and discover and grow new prospects for the future,” the organization’s announcement reads, “and appointed Choi Seong-hoon “Polt” as the unit leader. Please welcome Polt with whom we will draw the future of our LoL team.”
Hanwha Finishes Restructuring
Hanwha Life Esports’ addition of the former T1 head coach is the pinnacle of a number of changes the organization has gone through in recent times. Following the disastrous run that Hanwha had in 2022, where it placed 10th in both LCK Splits, the team decided to revamp its entire strategy.
The organization has been busy this offseason, having signed two world champions – Hwang “Kingen” Sung-hoon and Kim “Zeka” Geon. Hanwha completed its LoL roster with three well-established veterans – Kim “Clid” Tae-min, Park “Viper” Do-hyeon, and Kim “Life” Jeong-min.
During his time working for T1 last year, Polt helped the team win the LCK Spring Split, when T1 scored a convincing 3:1 victory over Gen.G Esports. Unfortunately, the team’s performance seemed to decrease during the rest of the year. T1 grabbed two more second-place titles, namely one at the Mid-Season Invitational 2022 and another at the LCK Summer Split, but that was about the extent of their performance last year.
Polt will now work alongside Choi “DanDy” In-kyu as head coach, who is returning to the LCK after years spent in the LPL. His challenge will start on January 18 when the 2023 LCK Spring Split kicks off and Hanwha faces the Kwangdong Freecs on the next day.
