Sources: Smash expected to join Dplus KIA

He finally has a team in Tier 1. Shin "Smash" Geum-jae is expected to join Dplus KIA in the League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK), sources tell Sheep Esports on Tuesday. Smash had replaced Lee "Gumayusi" Min-hyeong at the start of the year during the LCK Cup and in a few BO3 series in LCK Rounds 1-2, but he spent the rest of the year in LCK CL.

This shift is one piece of a broader domino effect across the LCK’s AD Carry landscape, where close to eight teams, including Hanwha Life Esports and KT Rolster, are expected to make changes in the position.

Smash has spent his entire career with T1, joining the organization in 2021 in LCK AS. He steadily climbed the ranks until reaching LCK CL in 2023, where he played alongside Yoon "Poby" Sung-won and Carl Martin Erik "Rekkles" Larsson. At the start of the year, he was promoted to the main roster by the coaching staff and showed very promising signs, including a standout BO3 victory that T1 secured against Gen.G and Park "Ruler" Jae-hyuk.

The new AD Carry for Dplus KIA has an extremely wide champion pool, having played nearly 20 different champions over the year across very different playstyles. His most-played champion this year is Miss Fortune, followed by Kai'Sa. This versatility allows him to play almost anything, and what he has shown in the LCK proves he can hold his own even against the world’s top ADCs.

More recently, Smash and T1 Academy won the Asia Masters, sweeping DRX Academy 3-0 in the grand final. So far, Smash isn’t the only player from T1 Academy to be promoted to the LCK, as jungler Ha "Vincenzo" Seung-min is set to join DRX, as previously reported by Sheep Esports.

On the Dplus KIA side, the team is preparing for a new chapter after a disappointing 2025, during which they missed the Worlds for the first time in their history. DK has decided to part ways with Kim "Aiming" Ha-ram following two years of service, signaling a shift in their roster strategy.

Cho "BeryL" Geon-hee is also reaching the end of his contract, and the identity of the support who will join Smash remains uncertain. Meanwhile, Heo "ShowMaker" Su, Choi "Lucid" Yong-hyeok, and Jeon "Siwoo" Si-woo are still under contract, but their future could be shaped as much at DK as with potential opportunities elsewhere.

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