KSV esports, the organisation that holds the Overwatch League Seoul spot has today announced its expansion into League of Legends with the acquisition of recently crowned world champions Samsung Galaxy.
The move now sees KSV compete across PUBG, Overwatch, League of Legends and Heroes of the Storm. League of Legends is arguably the biggest esport in the world, and Samsung Galaxy, the team acquired recently made history in their own right. They toppled and arguably ended the SK Telecom T1 dynasty by defeating Faker and co by three games to zero in the grand finals. Over 40,000 fans packed the Bird’s Nest Olympic stadium in Beijing and 60 million more online for the aforementioned final.
In addition, KSV will open a Shanghai office to support the team’s operations in China. The release states that the opening will support “the extensive fan base of all of KSV’s teams throughout China”. “Our main focus is to provide stronger infrastructure for our teams as they compete and win in China,” said Weiwei Geng, the newly appointed General Manager for China. “We want to continue to partner with leading Chinese media and streaming platforms to make sure fans of our players are able to experience their championship game play.”
“League of Legends is one of the top esports games in the world, and KSV has been looking for the right opportunity to enter this global esport since the summer,” said Kevin Chou, Chief Executive Officer of KSV. “From the beginning, we’ve explored acquiring a League of Legends team that aligned with KSV’s long-term goals and vision. In addition to their impressive championship victory, we admire Samsung Galaxy’s focus on team play and felt it was a strong culture fit with the rest of our teams and company.
“To build a Korean championship team into the world’s first truly global esports business, KSV has prepped itself to grow internationally for the past several months,” said Arnold Hur, Chief Growth Officer of KSV. “There is tremendous potential for Korea to build on its reputation as the center of global esports, and KSV will put all possible investment to help its teams compete and earn recognition at a global level.”
“I’m excited about competing in League of Legends World Championships with KSV,” said Kang ‘Ambition’ Chan-yong, the team captain of Samsung Galaxy. “For me, it has been a long road with League of Legends, with some tough challenges along the way. The coaching staff and teammates have always had my back, and we will work our way up to victory once again with KSV.”
Esports Insider says: This is huge news, as KSV continues to make big moves in the esports space following the news it had secured a spot in the Overwatch League. Welcoming on board the world champions ahead of a new season is certainly a statement – but will they be able to defend their title?