Longtime SKT coach kkOma leaves to join LPL's Vici Gaming
In what has already been an extremely busy off-season in League of Legends, big news just keeps on breaking.
According to
ESPN, legendary SK Telecom T1 coach Kim “kkOma” Jeong-hyun will be departing the team to join Vici Gaming. Aside from losing star player Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok, this is the biggest change the organization could experience.
This news marks the end of an era. KkOma has been the coach of SKT since retiring as a player in 2012. During his time with the organization, kkOma became the most decorated coach in League of Legends history by helping the team win three World Championships, one Mid Season Invitational, and six domestic titles.
After
suffering a defeat
at the hands of
G2 Esports
in the semifinals of the 2019 League of Legends World Championship, kkOma explored his options in free agency. He reportedly heads to the LPL and has turned down a seven-figure deal to stay with T1.
In joining Vici Gaming, kkOma will be taking on a new challenge in establishing the team as a contender in the LPL. In the 2019 season, Vici finished 16th and 15th in the spring and summer seasons respectively, with a combined record of 4 wins and 26 losses. This will be a huge change for a coach who is used to working with a consistently successful team, but that may have been part of the reason he chose to make the move.
T1 is planning to replace kkOma with DAMWON Gaming’s Kim “Kim” Jeong-soo. Despite being in the scene for far less time than kkOma, Kim already has an impressive set of achievements. He won an LCK title with Longzhu Gaming in the 2017 LCK Summer Split, a World Championship with Invictus Gaming in 2018, and secured a Worlds 2019 playoff slot with DAMWON Gaming.
Fans of Vici will be hoping the winningest coach in LoL history can change their fortunes, while T1 fans will be eager to see if the team can return to their previous dominance.
Nina Forneloza
About Nina Forneloza
Nina Forneloza is a huge fan of gaming, but her favorite genres of games above all other are gacha games, first-person shooting games, and role-playing games. When she isn’t looking for a lucky pull in the latest gacha, you’re likely to find her in a competitive Valorant lobby or playing the latest big single-player RPG. Either way, you can be assured that she’ll be into it and ready to write about the experience.
View full profile
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 ...
