Former CJ Entus League of Legends support Hong "MadLife" Min-gi has joined North American Challenger Series team Gold Coin United, the team announced Thursday.
"I've known MadLife for almost five years now," Gold Coin United coach Choi "Locodoco" Yoon-seop told ESPN.com. "He's one of the most mechanically gifted and dedicated players I've met throughout my career. We [during my time on MiG Frost] brought out the best in each other and I know he'll bring out the best in the team."
The signing will mark the first time MadLife has competed in a team not from South Korea. The star support began making his name in late 2011 and early 2012 during his time on MiG Frost, which was later adopted by streaming company Azubu. Throughout that time frame, he became known as the best support in League of Legends.
Over the past two years, however, MadLife has struggled on CJ Entus, his team since the Frost team and its brother Blaze of the CJ organization merged in November 2014. The team was most recently relegated from the professional league in South Korea, League Champions Korea, in August. As a result, the team disbanded, the organization picked up new players and MadLife became a free agent.
MadLife joins Gold Coin United as the final player to its lineup of five. Launched in early December, the team, backed by New York real estate icon James Kuhn and co-operated by his son Jacob, purchased NRG Esports' Challenger Series spot for an undisclosed figure. It then signed two North American talents, Colin "Solo" Earnest and Richard "Rikara" Samuel Oh, and two foreign talents, Lucas "Santorin" Tao Kilmer Larsen and Kim "FeniX" Jae-hun.