After five years of starting Darshan "Darshan" Upadhyaya in the Top Lane, Counter Logic Gaming decided it was time to make a change. CLG signed Kim "Ruin" Hyeong-min, a Korean Top Laner who previously played for TCL champion 1907 Fenerbahçe Espor.
Shortly after the Turkey's elimination from the 2019 Mid-Season Invitational Play-In, CLG signed Ruin ahead of the 2019 LCS Summer Split. CLG has started the split strong, sitting at 4-2 in a five-way tie for 1st place.
While Ruin hasn't been the hard carry for CLG that he was for 1907 Fenerbahçe in the TCL just yet, he has provided a consistent presence in the Top Lane which has freed up young Jungler Raymond "Wiggily" Griffin to play the map with more personal agency. "It seems that the LCS players have a much higher base level than the TCL players," Ruin explained. "So, I don't think the situations will call for me to hard carry as much as I did in Turkey
Counter Logic Gaming won Ruin's debut LCS game with a win over 100 Thieves. Following the victory, Ruin spoke to Inven Global's Lara Lunardi to compare the LCS and TCL, explain the meaning behind his tattoo, and give a message to the CLG faithful.
