LCK representative Griffin has parted ways with head coach Kim “cvMax” Dae-ho just weeks before the 2019 League of Legends World Championship.
On September 26, Griffin released a statement through Twitter where the organization thanked cvMax for his time with the team.
“For Griffin’s new journey, the contract with coach Kim Dae-Ho (cvMax) has ended with mutual agreement. We sincerely thank coach cvMax for his time with Team Griffin. Thank you,” wrote Griffin on Twitter.
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The announcement took the community by surprise considering the timing. Griffin is heading to Worlds 2019 as the second seed from the LCK. The team first joined the top League of Legends competition in Korea for the LCK summer split 2018 after finishing undefeated in Challengers Korea.
Through all of this journey from Challengers to the LCK, cvMax was in charge of the team. The coach was praised for his creative strategies that took a group of rookies to three consecutive LCK finals. Despite the good performance through the regular season, Griffin failed to turn that dominance into a title.
On several occasions, cvMax said that the key for the team’s success was the synergy between the players and the coaching staff. According to the coach, Griffin worked as a unit when everyone was heard and their opinions were considered.
But not everything was happiness and rainbows at Griffin. In an interview with Inven Global back in 2018, cvMax admitted that he was particularly harsh with the players after defeats in the LCK. The coach said that he coached his players with a “gladiator’s mentality”.
After that interview, the fans speculated that cvMax was abusive towards the players, but nothing was confirmed until the LCK moved to LoL Park. At the new LCK arena, the players and coaches move to an open booth between games to discuss strategies. On several occasions, cvMax would be caught on camera scolding the players. One of the most disturbing images of the summer was rookie top laner Choi “Doran” Hyeon-joon crying in front of the computer before a game against SK Telecom T1.
It’s unclear the direction Griffin will go in for LoL Worlds 2019. Losing cvMax could possibly put the players at ease and allow them to perform at the international event. It could also have a more devastating effect.
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