Former G2 Esports EU LCS MVP & 4x Champion 'Trick' Joins FC Schalke 04

After an uninspiring second half to the Spring Split for their roster, FC SCHALKE 04 have added EU fan favorite jungler Kang-Yun “Trick” Kim to their roster ahead of Summer.

Schalke's Struggles

This addition comes following the struggles faced by S04 as they slipped from a near-guaranteed playoffs position all the way to a tiebreaker loss to SK Gaming for 6th place. Given the sheer talent on the roster, this was unexpected, and previous seasons have shown that Schalke is unafraid to overhaul their roster when need be. This marks the beginning of what is potentially a tumultuous off-season for LEC rosters, especially with noted marksman Forg1ven now looking to make a return to competitive play.

Trick's Return

To further contextualize Trick’s return to the EU scene, his success here was almost unparalleled. Alongside current XL toplaner Expect, G2 marksman Perkz (then midlaner), TSM marksman Zven, and OG support Mithy, the star-studded 2016-2017 iterations of G2 Esports looked to Trick in the jungle as the catalyst for most of their wins. Domestically, their success was evident, but when it came to international performances the team sorely lacked both cohesion and results – leading to the implosion of the roster that left Perkz as the only remaining member of G2.

But after the roster disbanded, where did Trick end up? Much like his botlane, who sought greener pastures (and bank accounts) elsewhere in the world, Trick headed back to his home region of Korea alongside then-Misfits support and Worlds quarterfinalist Ignar, whom he will reunite with on Schalke. A couple of terrible splits led to BBQ Olivers being relegated not too long after picking up the duo, and Trick’s year in Korea was not the best addition to his resume.