Keel and Chrome replace Music and Levitate
Blue Otter has announced their new team for the next split of NACL. In a July 8th social media post, they confirmed that three players would remain: toplaner Michael "Qwacker" Zou, midlaner Samrith "Samikin" Loeung, and support David "rovex" Sin-Keo, for the next split. But the other two positions, in jungle and botlane, will be changed going forward. In the jungle, Ryan "Keel" Keel will be joining the team, while Aaron "Chrome" Li will take on the AD Carry role, completing the botlane alongside Rovex.
Experienced players from the North American scene
Qwacker is a 24-year-old American toplaner who's been part of the North American circuit since 2020, starting with the collegiate roster of the University of Illinois. He joined Wildcard Gaming later that year, then CCG Esports in Spring 2023, and Supernova in Summer. His current time on Blue Otter began in 2024, where he finished 5th in Summer playoffs, and 7th in the regular season of 2025 Split 1—just short of a playoffs spot.
The team's new jungler, Keel, is an experienced figure in the North American scene, well known for finding success with rare-in-pro jungle pocket picks like Udyr and Nunu. The 24-year-old moved to CLG Academy in 2021, then played for AOE, Wildcard Gaming, and Team Liquid Academy, where he placed third in Spring 2024. While on Supernova, his previous team, Keel did place eigth, but now, he and Blue Otter are aiming for the top.
As for Samikin, he is a 21-year-old Cambodian-American midlaner and self-proclaimed "Zoe enthusiast." He's well-acquainted with the NA amateur and semi-pro scene, having played for years on teams like Boston University. On Aporia, Samikin promoted to NACL in Spring 2024's qualifiers, when the roster was acquired by Blue Otter.
Rovex is a Canadian support who has been part of the scene for several years. In the NACL's first split, he played on Team Liquid's 2023 provisional roster, TL First, where the team failed to qualify to play again after one tough split. After several NACL qualifiers later, he and Samikin made it to NACL together on Aporia before joining Blue Otter.
A reunited botlane
Chrome and Rovex —along with Qwacker, recently played together on Pulse Gooners in the ACL, an amateur and collegiate NA tournament. Chrome stands out as a CLOL champion, having won first in the collegiate scene with the prestigious Maryville in 2024. The AD Carry had also previously played alongside his new toplaner during Spring 2024 with Wildcard Gaming.
Header Photo Credit: UIUC/CLG.A/UST
