Golden Guardians retool with Hauntzer, Froggen, Olleh
Golden Guardians have undergone a promising roster overhaul after taking last place in both splits of the 2018 season.
In the top lane, the Guardians picked up Kevin “Hauntzer” Yarnell from TSM. Hauntzer was well known for his dominance as a native top laner against top lane imports such as
Heo “Huni” Seung-hoon. Hauntzer’s skill proved itself out even among star teammates like Soren “Bjergsen” Bjerg and Yiliang “Doublelift” Peng.
Unfortunately, Hauntzer struggled to maintain that form through much of 2018 as his ranking among LCS top laners dropped significantly.
In the mid lane, Henrik “Froggen” Hansen joins the ranks in his return to the LCS. Froggen was considered a contender for best mid laner in North America before leaving Echo Fox in 2017 after an eighth place finish. Since then, Froggen has focused on promoting his streaming career before joining Origen for a single split of European Masters play in 2018. Although Froggen has shown his potential for dominance in the past, some fans wonder if he still can remain relevant at the highest levels in season nine after such a long hiatus.
On support, Golden Guardians found their final offseason acquisition in
Kim “Olleh” Joo-sung. After joining Team Liquid in 2018, Olleh grabbed two consecutive LCS championships with his bottom lane partner Doublelift. But despite these achievements, Olleh proved to be unreliable when facing the pressure and scrutiny of the international stage that Liquid worked to compete on, even subbing himself out during MSI.
Without a doubt, Olleh has shown his competence, but it is still unclear how he will adapt to a new roster and the new stresses that come with it.
After a disappointing franchise debut in 2018, the Golden Guardians are looking to be a potential contender for the playoffs with the addition of some talented and decorated veteran players.
Read Also
Esports Betting
Gen.G vs HLE: Best betting odds and picks for LCK 2026 grand final
Hannan Mundia
The 2026 LCK grand final will see HLE challenge Gen.G to determine which team walks away with the first-place prize, giving the winning team a much-needed confidence boost before the World Championship. After every top professional Korean League of Legends team has poured sweat and time, this year’s LCK split is finally about to conclude. The grand final match will be between the powerhouse team Gen.G and the challenging Hanwha ...
Esports Betting
Here Are My Predictions For The Hanwha Life Esports vs T1 LCK Lower Final
Ben Boland
LCK fans are in for a treat as Hanwha Life Esports and T1 both battle for a ticket to the grand final, where Gen.G awaits. The last time these two met, they tore the house down. I expect more of the same this time in the lower final. Here are the best bets to make on HLE vs T1 in the LCK 2026 Summer Playoffs Lower Final at GG.BET, one ...
League of Legends
Riot Games eyes Polymarket and Kalshi for esports sponsorships
Michael Hassall
Riot Games, the creator of League of Legends and VALORANT is reportedly exploring the protentional of sponsorship deals with prediction market operators including Polymarket and Kalshi, as per reports emerging late last night (Sep. 10). First reported by Cecilia D’Anastasio of Bloomberg, Riot has started conversations with the two top prediction market operators, Kalshi and Polymarket, with a view to one or both of them becoming sponsors within Riot Games’ ...
Esports Betting
HLE vs T1: Best Betting Odds and Picks for LCK 2026 Playoffs
Hannan Mundia
HLE and T1 will duke it out in the 2026 LCK Playoffs lower bracket final, but which team has a better chance of facing Gen.G in the grand final? This year’s LCK season has been filled with ups and downs. In particular, the top three teams have constantly struggled against each other, but Gen.G managed to get ahead of the fray in the end. Now, HLE and T1 will face ...
Esports Betting
Bet Tips and Predictions For Team Vitality vs MKOI LEC Summer Playoffs
Ben Boland
The LEC playoffs are well underway, and we have Team Vitality taking on MKOI in a do-or-die series. Lose here, and your chances of qualifying for Worlds 2026 go up in smoke. With Vitality getting dismantled by G2 Esports in their opening series, it begs the question whether it was just the G2 playoffs magic, or Vitality are not the team we thought they were. Let’s take a look at ...
Esports Betting
LCS Playoffs Round 1 Best Bets: Will C9 Falter?
Ben Boland
The LCS Summer regular season has finally come to a close and six teams will now do battle over the next few weeks with the hope of representing their region at the 2026 League of Legends World Championship. The first round of playoffs is expected to set the tone for what is to be an exciting conclusion to the return of the LCS. Cloud9 and Shopify do battle once again, ...
Esports Betting
The Best LCS Summer Split Week 7 Odds: Upsets On The Horizon?
Ben Boland
The LoL betting world is in for a treat this weekend as the LCS Summer Split regular season enters its final week. Everything is to play for, from the battle for first place to who starts life in the upper bracket. Esports betting sites are unsurprisingly covering the games extensively, and here my tips to bet on for each LCS match this weekend. This is a series that could go ...
