UPDATE (Jan. 3, 2017): Since the time of publication, Akaadian and Gate have been confirmed.
Former Dream Team jungler Matthew "Akaadian" Higginbotham and former Phoenix1 support Austin "Gate" Yu have come to agreements with Echo Fox to round out its lineup for the 2017 season, sources close to the players and organization tell ESPN.
Akaadian and Gate both are currently bootcamping with the team in South Korea as it prepares for next season. Akaadian will replace Anthony "Hard" Barkhovtsev, whose future is currently uncertain, while Gate will replace Terry "BIG" Chuong, who parted ways with Echo Fox on Nov. 22.
The signings come around the same time the team finalized a deal with 2014 World Champion, former Royal Never Give Up top laner Jang "Looper" Hyeong-seok, which was reported late Thursday evening by Yahoo. According to that report, former Echo Fox top laner Park "kfo" Jeong-hun will return to his home of South Korea, but has yet to find a team.
Akaadian, Gate and Looper will join Echo Fox's Henrik "Froggen" Hansen and Yuri "KEITH" Jew in the team's second year in the League Championship Series, following the purchase of the league spot in late 2015 by three-time NBA champion Rick Fox for $1 million. Echo Fox finished the 2016 summer split in last place in the NA LCS, but avoided relegation in the promotion tournament to keep its slot.
Echo Fox declined to comment for this story.
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