Mata leaves KT Rolster

KT Rolster has recently announced on their official facebook page that Mata will be leaving the team. This departure comes after his contract expiry with the team KT Rolster, where he spent his last two years.

This is an unfortunate news for the organisation, considering that Mata had been a key member of their roster, boosting their recent success. KT’s future is unknown, considering their sub-par worlds performance and their next challenge of finding a support that can match Mata.

Mata is a world renowned support, regarded as one of the best, if not the best support player in the world. Before joining KT Rolster, he had played on some of the biggest teams throughout the world such as MVP, Samsung, Vici Gaming and RNG. He was also part of Samsung White’s glory days, where the team went along to win worlds in 2014.

Mata’s plans for 2019

Mata still has to find a suitable team following his contract expiry, with KT Rolster stating that Mata is currently a free agent. That said, considering that Mata knew he would soon be a free agent, it is probable he has already engaged in discussions with prospective teams. Considering his previous history with the LPL while playing for RNG, a top Chinese team, Mata has a greater choice in teams compared to traditional LCK players. China has emerged as the top region in 2018, with Korea falling far behind and being unable to enter the semi-finals; Mata may very well sign with a Chinese team. Note, a move to China seems more probable since the player salaries for top players in the LPL are significantly higher compared to Korea.

While he is a veteran in the scene, Mata is still in his prime; the past year with KT Rolster proving his most successful yet (aside from Samsung winning worlds). Mata does not show signs of burning out, and he will definitely continue playing competitively in another team’s starting roster as opposed to coaching.