The Guangzhou Charge is bringing in some familiar free agents to fill out its 2021 Overwatch League roster. Main support Kim “Mandu” Chan-hee, formerly of the New York Excelsior, is the Charge’s newest addition. Yesterday, Guangzhou also signed veteran flex support Bak “KariV” Young-seo.
Mandu began his career in Overwatch Contenders Korea as a part of Armament and O2 Blast. His performance on the latter team caught the eye of the New York Excelsior, who signed Mandu before the 2020 season began. Despite his talent, Mandu was benched for most of last season, playing only two games on behalf of the NYXL. He was officially released by the team into free agency last week.
In the precarious backline, Mandu will be joined by veteran flex support KariV, formerly of the Toronto Defiant. KariV began his Overwatch League journey on the Los Angeles Valiant, playing for two years before being acquired by Toronto. Throughout that time he developed a reputation as both a clutch player and a big personality. After a mediocre year for the Defiant, KariV is taking a chance in his first Asia-Pacific (APAC) team.
During the 2020 offseason, the Guangzhou Charge has been clearing house, dropping multiple players and coaching staff. Earlier this week, the team dropped three players, including star flex support Kim “Shu” Jin-seo, who transferred to the Los Angeles Gladiators.
The Charge had a relatively successful 2020 season, winning one monthly tournament and coming in fifth on the league’s leaderboard.
