Team Liquid has acquired contract rights to Immortals players Jake "Xmithie" Puchero, Andy "AnDa" Hoang, Eugene "Pobelter" Park and Cody "Cody Sun" Sun, sources close to both parties told ESPN.
The organization is expected to start Xmithie over Kim "Reignover" Yeu-jin in the 2018 season, sources said, with Reignover's contract -- worth $350,000 a year in annual salary, bonuses excluded, and with Nov. 19, 2018, end date -- uncertain. Additionally, Liquid is likely to part ways with AD carry Chae "Piglet" Gwang-jin upon contract expiration next week, making opportunity for Cody Sun to potentially start on Liquid.
What the team will do with Pobelter and AnDa is currently uncertain. The team will assess whether it will start Pobelter over Son "Mickey" Young-min or resell his contract to another team, one source said. That is most likely dependent on who the team outfits its other lanes with, as each team is allowed to have only two foreign players on its starting lineup. Liquid's roster plans are currently not final.
The acquisitions come after Immortals was declined permanent partnership in the North American League of Legends Championship Series in October. Immortals were given the option to sell player contracts that last through the 2018 and 2019 seasons starting Friday. Other Immortals members such as Lee "Flame" Ho-jong and Kim "Olleh" Joo-sung have been released into free agency. Pobelter, Cody Sun and AnDa's contracts last until the end of the 2018 season, while Xmithie's concludes toward the end of 2019.
Team Liquid was accepted into the league but finished ninth in both spring and summer splits, the lowest finishes in organizational history, in 2017.
Immortals did not respond to a request for comment. Team Liquid declined to comment.
