On Tuesday, Dplus KIA announced the contract extension of their coach Kim "cvMax" Dae-ho for the upcoming year. He will be promoted to the head coach position in place of Bae "Bengi" Seong-woong, whose departure was also announced by the organization on its social media.

Dplus also announced the departure of the rest of its coaching staff, with Ha "Hachani" Seung-chan and Lee "PoohManDu" Jeong-hyeon also leaving the organization. cvMax is currently solely in charge of DK's new project and will attempt to bring the team back to Worlds next season.

A strong and controversial choice

Arriving before the Summer split to solve Dplus Kia's problems, cvMax's impact was not felt in this season's results. Relegated to the Rise Group before the arrival of their new coach, DK dominated the group without really convincing in gameplay. In the playoffs, DK came close to beating T1 twice to qualify for Worlds... but failed twice.

During one of the latest documentaries dedicated to Dplus Kia's season, some parts of it highlight issues within the team's coaching staff and spark controversy. Head coach Bengi is shown in the background while cvMax handles drafts and team meetings. Known for his strict management, cvMax's arrival in the summer after his departure from JD Gaming had already sparked debate among fans.

Change announced at DK

Despite that, he remains a coach with experience in the LCK. He had notably already participated in the Worlds with DRX in 2020. DK, on the other hand, missed the biggest League of Legends competition for the first time since 2018. The team must renew itself to once again compete with the top teams in the Korean league.

In addition to re-signing cvMax, the departures of Kim "Aiming" Ha-ram and Cho "BeryL" Geon-hee were also announced by the team. As previously reported by Sheep Esports, Sin "Smash" Guem-jae will be joining the team for the upcoming season, pending the arrival of a new support and possible further changes to the coaching staff.

For more roster changes, check out our Transfers Hub and Offseason Live Tracker.