Legendary Tekken player Bae "Knee" Jae-min has signed with ROX Gaming, the team announced Sunday. This is the South Korean organization's first foray into the fighting game community.
"I feel fantastic," Knee told ESPN. "I've had a long career, and never have I been presented with such an opportunity."
He revealed that he was approached by ROX Gaming following his third-place finish at the 2017 Evolution Championship Series.
Knee is considered by many the greatest Tekken player of all time, having lifted more than two dozen domestic and international trophies since 2007. With this signing, he becomes the third South Korean to play Tekken for an established esports organization, joining Echo Fox's Kim "JDCR" Hyun-jin and Choi "SAINT" Jin-woo.
"We were impressed with Knee's consistent level of play and his ability to perform at the highest level for over a decade now," said Eliot Namgung, Director of Esports for ROX Gaming. "His personality, skill level and class all align with the ideals that ROX instills in its players and teams."
Despite being one of the scene's most renowned competitors, Knee had long had trouble securing a proper sponsor. The veteran was enthusiastic about how this new deal would help him participate in more foreign tournaments as well as provide a better environment for him to concentrate on his game.
"Now that I'm under the ROX banner, I plan to take things more seriously," he said. "I promise to work hard and put out good results."