Korean League of Legends squad KT Rolster has started the offseason with a bang, acquiring the services of Kim “Deft” Hyuk-kyu from fellow LCK peers Dplus KIA and former Team Liquid jungler Hong “Pyosik” Chang-hyeon.

KT Rolster, who released all but one of its squad last week after a brave run to the Worlds 2023 quarterfinals in Seoul, reunites the ADC and jungler who many remember were key pieces to DRX’s incredible Summoner’s Cup win in 2022. The pair were teammates with the Korean organization both in 2020 and 2022, with Deft spending a year with Hanwha Life Esports between stints.

Deft and Pyosik join Gwak “Bdd” Bo-seong who was the only player to survive KT’s initial purge as contracts expired for 2023. It is expected Lee “PerfecT” Seung-min will also reprise his role in the top lane for 2024, while the team remains on the hunt for a support to pair with Deft.

After DRX opted to split following the Worlds win, both would go their separate ways—Deft remained in the LCK and moved to Dplus KIA, while Pyosik took on the League Championship Series and North America with Team Liquid. Across both splits, Deft’s Dplus finished fifth before pushing through DRX and HLE to qualify for Worlds as the LCK’s fourth seed. Across the ditch, Pyosik and TL overcame a horror eighth-place finish in the Spring Split to finish third in the Summer.

It was there Pyosik’s run would be ended swiftly with Liquid sent packing from the Swiss stage without a win while Deft would be knocked out by none other than KT Rolster themselves in the 2-2 qualifier round at Worlds.

Widely regarded as one of the best ADCs in League’s history, Deft is set to go around for his 11th year of competition and, despite constantly being asked about retirement, has no plans on hanging up the mouse and keyboard yet. Given his form in 2023 as well as the volatile nature of the LCK and the many changes coming to the game for 2024, there’s every reason Deft and Pyosik can succeed together again at KT.

The pieces are only now beginning to fall into place for the LCK, which is set to resume in January with the Spring Split.