Ex-EHOME Spear player Kim "Geguri" Se-yeon has signed with ROX Orcas, the organization confirmed to ESPN. Barring unforeseen complications, the 18-year-old professional gamer will be the first-ever female to compete in OGN Overwatch APEX, one of the world's most prestigious Overwatch tournaments.
"I entered ROX because I wanted to further my experience and play with a team again," she told ESPN.
Geguri made worldwide headlines in June 2016 when she was wrongly accused of aimhacking in an official tournament. Suspicion was triggered because she was "too good"; her mouse precision shown on broadcast had been so exceptional that many viewers outright refused to believe it was humanly possible. The controversy caught on fire quickly, and her match opponents escalated the situation by promising to retire from Overwatch if Geguri was clean. One particularly incensed member even threatened to visit her house with a knife in hand.
In response to the allegations, Geguri livestreamed her play within a monitored studio setting. And as soon as her skills were put on show, all claims were conclusively disproved; her aim, particularly on Zarya, simply was that good. On that same day, Blizzard Entertainment Korea also separately confirmed that she had not been hacking. Geguri became an international hero overnight, and massive hype mounted for her professional future.
Unfortunately, Geguri has since failed to achieve much in organized play. EHOME Spear never even managed to reach second-division APEX Challenger, let alone first-division APEX, until its quiet disbandment in June 2017. Joining ROX Orcas might be the biggest moment of her pro career so far, and Geguri will be hungry to prove her worth anew.
Fortunately, ROX has drawn Group C, the least-competitive group of this APEX season. While the Orcas were not a strong team even by APEX Challenger standards, in this group they may have a fighting chance. A key factor for its success will be how well Geguri can perform on Zarya, her best hero, who has finally returned to the competitive meta.
"It hasn't been long since I've started to play a team game again, so yes, there definitely is a lot of pressure," Geguri said. "[But] my goal this season is to reach the quarterfinals, and I will be working hard."