Gen.G
Gen.G
Korea
Rank #3
Ash
Ha Hyun-cheol (하현철)
Karon
Kim Won-tae (김원태)
t3xture
Kim Na-ra (김나라)
has announced the re-signings of head coach Kang "solo"
Geun-chul (강근철) and coach Kim "HSK"
Hae-seong (김해성).
The pair's contracts expired, as announced by Gen.G two days ago, but they re-sign, with head coach solo joining on a deal until 2027 and HSK signing a one-year deal through 2026.
The coaching duo behind Gen.G's 2024 to remember. (Image by Riot Games)
solo has been Gen.G's head coach since the start of the 2024 season, but his reputation in the Korean FPS scene extends further. He had a 14-year career in Counter-Strike and CS:GO, and is most well-known for his time on WeMade FOX, where he played alongside the likes of
termi
,
bail
,
glow
, and
peri
. He entered Valorant in 2020 with
PROPARTY
PROPARTY
Inactive
allow
Park Sang-wook (박상욱)
Suggest
Seo Jae-young (서재영)
peri
Jung Bum-ki (정범기)
solo
Kang Geun-chul (강근철)
Lakia
Kim Jong-min (김종민)
, which later became
NUTURN
NUTURN
Inactive
, playing the Sentinel and Initiator roles on a team that placed third at Masters Reykjavik in 2021.
Following that season, solo began his coaching career with
DAMWON Gaming
DAMWON Gaming
Inactive
Lakia
Kim Jong-min (김종민)
allow
Park Sang-wook (박상욱)
exy
Park Geun-cheol (박근철)
Estrella
Park Gun (박건)
Esperanza
Jeong Jin-cheol (정진철)
/
Dplus Esports
Dplus Esports
Korea
Rank #20
, leading the squad for the next two seasons. After falling short of reaching the international stage in 2022, Dplus established itself as one of the strongest teams in the Korean Challengers scene in 2023, reaching Pacific Ascension but placing 7th-8th.
Similarly to solo, HSK wrapped up a CS:GO career in 2019 and transitioned over to Valorant shortly after. He started his playing career with
DetonatioN FocusMe
DetonatioN FocusMe
Japan
Rank #5
Meiy
Ibuki Seki
SSeeS
Tomonori Okimura
Akame
Yu Gwang-hui (유광희)
gyen
Koki Nakamura
in 2022, but would play for just one year, becoming a coach for the squad the following year. After staying with DFM through the end of the Pacific League, HSK departed and joined Gen.G in the following offseason.
The 2024 season marked the first year of solo and HSK's partnership, and a historic one for Gen.G. The year started with the squad lifting the Pacific Kickoff trophy to become the first Korean squad to win a Pacific event, and then a runner-up finish at Masters Madrid. Dominance continued in the regional circuit with a runner-up finish in Stage 1, followed by an undefeated run to lift the Masters Shanghai trophy and become the first Pacific squad to win an international VCT event. Gen.G followed up the event by winning Stage 2, but fell short of expectations at Champions Seoul, being eliminated in the group stage.
A hectic 2025 for Gen.G saw the organization struggle to replace two core pieces of its 2024 squad, with the full starting roster not seeing its final form until midway through Stage 1. The high point of a disappointing year, at least in comparison to 2024, was the team finishing 5th-6th at Masters Toronto. A weak group stage showing meant that Gen.G entered the Stage 2 playoffs in the lower bracket, and a loss to rivals
Rex Regum Qeon
Rex Regum Qeon
Asia-Pacific
Rank #4
Monyet
Cahya Nugraha
xffero
David Monangin
Jemkin
Maksim Batorov
Kushy
Bryan Carlos Setiawan
crazyguy
Ngô Công Anh
cemented the 2025 season as a year of "what if"s for Gen.G.
Gen.G released its entire coaching staff and four players recently, and with just two players on the current roster, a rebuild for the second straight season appears imminent.
Gen.G
Gen.G
Korea
Rank #3
Ash
Ha Hyun-cheol (하현철)
Karon
Kim Won-tae (김원태)
t3xture
Kim Na-ra (김나라)
's full roster is now:
Discord