Who is Keria: Legendary Genius Monster
Honestly, I’m not a genius, but I am a monster.
In the wake of T1's victory at League of Legends Worlds 2023, T1 is now considered one of the strongest rosters in the world, and this roster one of its most successful iterations in terms of fan following, popularity, and rise to within modern League of Legends. In the Grand Finals of Worlds 2023, two teams with tremendous history behind them stood across the stage from one another. The indomitable T1 of South Korea. And the powerhouse of Weibo Gaming from China.
Weibo came in with decorated Mid Laner Li "Xiaohu" Yuanhao - who had won 3 MSIs - and former Worlds winner Kang "TheShy" Seung-lok. T1 was coming in with the legacy of their organization and their franchise player - Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok, 3-time Worlds winner. Both teams represented the collective hopes of their respective regions. Regional pride and honor, the collective aspirations of all ten players on the Rift; everything was on the line.
Amongst all the players, one has stood out as exceptional even among these legends. 21-year-old player Keria.
Credit: Colin Young-Wolff/Riot GamesWho is Keria?
Ryu “Keria” Min-seok. A generational talent born in Busan, he is the current Support player for T1 in the LCK. He is also known as the Legendary Genius Monster, or 역천괴.
Before Keria had even debuted in the LCK, he was already recognized for his immense talent and potential. Kim Hyuk-kyu, better known as Deft is a long-time legend of the LCK and highly accomplished AD Carry player. During his time on DRX, he was paired with Keria, and the duo terrorized the LCK in 2020.
Keria and Deft (Left > Right) Credit: Y.W.KimWhen asked about the rookie Support (at the time) before Keria had even debuted, Deft predicted him to be ‘one of the best Support players in South Korea.’ Sure enough, less than a year after being promoted from trainee to the main team, Keria was already considered one of the best Support players in the whole world.
In 2023, Keria has blossomed into not only one of the best Support players in the world, but a strong voice on his teams. In T1, Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok praises the young Support as a ‘big part of the team’s communication.’
A Brief Reflection on his Debut
In Keria’s debut, Caster Jun (long-time caster for the LCK) and mainstay personality familiar with most of the LCK pro talent, spoke about the young rookie.
‘Keria was different from the beginning,’ he said. ‘I’ve seen a lot of famous players, but since his debut in 2020 Spring, he was totally different from the others.’
‘To me,’ he said, ‘Keria is a combination of the best qualities of all his predecessors. The Star Qualities of the First Support Star - Hong “MadLife” Min-gi. The clutch outplays and ability to read the game like Cho “Mata” Se-hyeong. And the stability of Lee “Wolf” Jae-wan and Jo “CoreJJ” Yong-in, who both led their teams to Worlds victories and were pillars for the team.
The influence of the then 18-year-old on a figure like Deft was so profound, that the latter, when thinking of leaving DRX, considered staying solely because of the young Support.
Why Did He Stand Out at Worlds 2023?
Unlike his predecessors, or even his previous Worlds attendances, this version of Keria at Worlds 2023 stood out because he undeniably, irrevocably, changed the Worlds meta single handedly. How did he accomplish this?
By picking ranged supports.
Keria was the first Support in the LCK to ever play Caitlyn, Varus, and Kalista as supports. At Worlds 2023, he played both Ashe and Senna in the support roles. His Senna pick was especially crucial, given that it allowed T1 to R5 pick a Nilah ADC that completely countered LNG. The reason this is so impactful on the Worlds meta is because of several factors. It gives the T1 bot lane more pushing power, more poke, more damage. Moreover, because of Keria’s willingness to play AD Carry champions in the Support role, there is now the additional uncertainty of which of the two (Keria or Gumayusi) the pick is going to.
Adding on to the fact that he was a mechanical prodigy, his level of synergy with his teammates, and his ability to find windows that few others could in crucial moments; he made for one of the deadlist all-in-one packages on Summoner's Rift at any given moment.
Faker and Keria at Worlds 2022. Credit: Colin Young-Wolff/Riot GamesHis Bard currently sits at a 100% winrate in 3 games played, with an astoundingly high 8.6 KDA posted. His Renata Glasc is even more absurd, with a 100% winrate across 3 games played and a 12 KDA.
How many players, much less Support players could have pulled that off?
This does not even account for all the off-meta picks he has pulled since the start of 2023. The LCK has bore witness to his Twitch, Kalista, Caitlyn, and Heimerdinger picks as well.
“In 2020, I used to do only what I was required to do. I wasn’t much help to the team. Now, I think more about how I could be of help to other laners and making shotcalls. I think I’ve become a player that could lead the team more” - Keria in a 2022 interview.
Credit: Colin Young-Wolff/Riot GamesA Long List of Accolades
Earned the award of Most Assists in a Single LCK Split in Spring 2022. Prior to this, the award was held by Wolf since 2015. Keria is also the first Support player ever to win the LCK Regular Season MVP award. He won it in Spring 2022 (T1’s flawless 18-0 season), and again in Spring 2023.
The magnitude of a Support player winning the Regular Season MVP is incomprehensible. And Keria has done it twice now. Up until that 2022 Spring, Support players had not received the recognition they should have. The name of the role even includes nuances of ‘sacrifice’ for one’s team.
His 2021 season with T1 (that first season with them), earned him his current moniker of Legendary Genius Monster, for his outstanding performance and remarkable efficiency. This title was coined by LCK caster Lee “CloudTemplar” Hyun-woo after Keria’s incredible season.
In 2022, he along with the rest of the T1 roster, was the first roster in the LCK to ever achieve a perfect split (18-0). He has also made the LCK All-Pro Team 7 times. 5 times on the 1st team and twice on the 2nd team.
Most recently, he, along with Team Korea, won the Asian Games 2022, securing his pro career future with a permanent exemption from South Korea’s military service.
“At first, I didn’t have any faith in my own prowess, and I used to be pressured by being called a ‘Legendary Genius Monster.’ But now, I think it’s kind of true. Honestly, I’m not a genius, but I am a monster. [Laughs]”
Conclusion
Generational Talent Keria forges his own legacy as one of the greatest Support players that the LCK has ever produced. It is likely that before his career is done, he will be touted as one of the best players League of Legends has ever seen.
Through his efforts, Keria has forged the Support role from a supportive/sacrificial element of the roster, into a team/legacy-defining role, in which playmaking revolves around him.
“If I say he is too mechanically gifted to be a Support, is that a compliment? It is a difficult answer.” -Caster Jun.
Interview snippets taken from interviews Keria has done over the years.
Credit: Yicun Liu/Riot Games
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