Evil Geniuses adds Lebanese player Korean Kid to complete Academy team
Evil Geniuses Academy has completed its starting roster with the addition of Lebanese mid laner Ahmad “Korean kid” Charif.
Evil Geniuses Academy went all the way to the Middle East to find a new mid laner. Korean Kid recently took part in Nexus Arabia 2019, the first League of Legends event of its kind in Saudi Arabia. The mid laner was part of EGZ eSports, which won one of the tournaments that took place at the event.
Korean Kid is the final piece of a Cloud9 Academy roster that also includes European jungler Kadircan “Kadir” Mumcuoğlu, top laner Brandon “Brandini” Chen, and bottom lane duo Matthew “Deftly” Chen and Matthew “Matt” Elento.
Kadir is no stranger to the LCS, as the jungler was part of the OpTic Gaming Academy roster in 2018. His stay in North America only lasted three months.
The jungler went back to Europe where he competed in different leagues including the Summoner’s Inn League, Germany’s national league.
Brandini was released early from Team SoloMid Academy. The top laner was subbed out in the summer season, with the team citing “behavioral issues” as the reason behind the decision. The organization did not release further details, but he is being given another chance by Evil Geniuses and will start in the spring.
Finally, Matt and Deftly are reuniting after previously playing together for Golden Guardians.
Deftly has been a journeyman of late. After splitting from Golden Guardians, Deftly moved to Cloud9, and was eventually traded to Evil Geniuses. As far as bottom laners go, Deftly is one of the best in the LCS. Throughout the 2019 LCS Spring, Deftly was a solid carry for Golden Guardians before being demoted from the team.
NA Academy League in the spotlight
In 2020, Riot Games is putting more emphasis on the Academy league and giving the players more stage time. Starting in spring,
there will be Academy games Friday through Monday. The goal is to give the Academy teams more exposure.
Evil Geniuses Academy will play its first game of the season on January 24 when the team is facing Dignitas Academy. This will be a tough match for Evil Geniuses, with Dignitas’ farm team boasting five veteran players.
Dignitas’ roster includes top laner Samson “Lourlo” Jackson, jungler Matthew “Akaadian” Higginbotham, mid laner Tanner “Damonte” Damonte is, and bottom lane duo Kim “Fenix” Jae-hun and Kim “Olleh” Joo-sung. Fenix was a veteran mid laner that decided to swap roles this season.
The 2020 NA Academy League Spring Season starts on January 24.
Read Also
Esports Betting
Top Esports beats Team WE in the LPL, qualifies for MSI 2026
Wasif Ahmed
Against all odds, Top Esports faced Team WE in the LPL upper bracket final. Both teams fought over a spot for the Mid-Season Invitational that everyone expected Anyone’s Legend, Bilibili Gaming, or JD Gaming to claim. In the end, TES paused WE’s Cinderella story as they beat them 3-0. Before this series, World Elite had defeated two LPL powerhouses in BLG and AL. Against TES, though, they suddenly lost all ...
League of Legends
G2 Esports complete comeback against Karmine Corp to win LEC Spring 2026
Hannan Mundia
After a fairly smooth split, G2 Esports emerged victorious in the 2026 LEC Spring split grand final by making a comeback against Karmine Corp. The 2026 LEC Spring split has finally concluded. With spots at MSI and the Esports World Cup on the line, every professional European team gave it their all to get as far as they could. While most teams fell quickly, Karmine Corp and G2 Esports managed ...
Esports Betting
G2 Esports vs Karmine Corp 2026 LEC Spring: Best odds, picks
Hannan Mundia
The 2026 LEC Spring split is about to conclude, with G2 Esports and Karmine Corp facing off one last time to see which team qualifies for the Esports World Cup. While both teams have done well to make it to this LEC split’s grand final, only one team can be crowned the victor. With a direct ticket to the EWC on the line, there’s a strong chance that G2’s dominating ...
Esports Betting
MKOI vs Karmine Corp 2026 LEC Spring betting preview: Best odds and picks
Hannan Mundia
Two LEC spots are open for this year’s Mid-Season Invitational, and MKOI will battle against Karmine Corp to determine which team grabs it. The ongoing LEC Spring split is almost done, and only three teams remain. While G2 Esports has already established itself as the strongest so far with a guaranteed spot in the grand final, Movistar KOI and Karmine Corp will battle it out on the big stage for ...
League of Legends
LCK 2026 Road to MSI: Teams, format, and schedule
Hannan Mundia
With the LCK 2026 Rounds 1-2 complete, the qualified teams will battle it out in Road to MSI. With two spots for the 2026 Mid-Season Invitational and one spot for the 2026 Esports World Cup on the line, here’s everything to know about the LCK 2026 Road to MSI. Six teams have qualified for Road to MSI, but only two MSI spots are available for this region. While powerhouse teams ...
Esports Betting
KT Rolster vs T1 2026 LCK Season Rounds 1-2: Best odds and picks
Hannan Mundia
KT Rolster and T1 will face off in the last week of 2026 LCK Rounds 1-2 to potentially improve their starting position at Road to MSI. KT Rolster and T1 have both had their moment to shine in the ongoing 2026 LCK split. With one week remaining, the two teams will battle against each other for a chance at acquiring second place and starting with a significant advantage in the ...
Esports Betting
EWC officially heads to Paris for 2026 as early reports confirmed
Michael Hassall
The Esports World Cup 2026 will take place in Paris, France from July later this year as per an new announcement by the EWC organizers, the Esports Foundation. Revealed in a post on their official social media, and an accompanying release and blog post, the announcement confirmed earlier speculation that the event would move location due to the “regional situation” around Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Here’s the info: The Esports World ...
