This article was originally published on GameSpot's sister site onGamers.com, which was dedicated to esports coverage.

　　Being a rookie isn’t easy.

　　The pressure of performing on the big stage for the first time can be the breaking point for many, or it could be the spotlight that a player needs to go from a solo queue hero to a superstar in front of thousands of fans. OGN Champions Winter was no different, giving us the debuts of another generation of Korean players.

　　

5. Marin, SK Telecom T1 S – 2.6 Kills/3.1 Deaths/3.7 Assists Average (3-4 Record)

Marin was the rookie that everyone expected to be atop of the rankings at the start of the season. The number one player on the Korean solo queue ladder, the stories of his insane roaming plays were sweeping the scene as his debut grew closer and closer. His first few games in the OGN qualifiers were nothing but solid, beating up on a team of amateur high school players, and almost never leaving his lane, but we were waiting. Waiting for that moment where he would rip his face off and show us that he was actually Faker 2.0, a monster rookie that would lead his team deep in the playoffs.

　　Unfortunately, the face never came off and Marin played like he did throughout the qualifiers: solid, almost never losing in CS – even against elite players such as Flame and Impact – but having no real flair when it came to his game play. SK Telecom T1 S played as a five man unit for most of their games, Bang, their AD Carry, the only player to make a real name for himself through his high KDA. He didn’t have a terrible first season, but it’s hard to argue that the hype wasn’t lived up to. With another season under his belt that might all change, but now we can only have him fifth on our list of top rookies.

　　

4. BetKyo, Incredible Miracle #2 – 4.3 Kills/2.5 Deaths/4 Assists Average (2-4 Record)

BetKyo might be the strangest rookie on our list. Helping IM #2 get to the finals of last season’s NLB, this was his first season in, making him a rookie to the OGN studios and the big audience. He proved to be a strong carry, but if you look at his stats, it’s perplexing on how reliant he is on only two champions. 8-0 all-time on Vayne and 4-0 on Twitch, BetKyo is a player who you can never let have those champions. Holding a KDA over 7 on both, if you give BetKyo one of his two favorite champions, you are looking at a game that he can carry hard and sail to victory.

　　Looking at his other champions, he doesn’t have one that has a winning rate of over 50%. 3-11 on Graves, Caitlyn, Lucian, Ezreal and Sivir, at a time when champions like Lucian and Sivir are at a premium, BetKyo wasn’t able to help get his team out of the group stages and into the playoffs. He might rely on only two champions, but BetKyo has a lot of potential to grow in the future if him and Kuro, IM #2’s ace mid lane, can reach their potential as players.

　　

3. Piccaboo, Xenics Storm – 1.3 Kills/3.1 Deaths/9.3 Assists Average (6-5 Record)

Move out of the way Mata and Madlife, there is a new Thresh player in town.

　　8-3 on the champion all-time in his short career, just like you can’t give BetKyo one of his two favorite champions, it’s almost an instant loss against Xenics Storm if you give Piccaboo his Thresh. Roaming through the jungle and any lane he pleases, Piccaboo was the biggest surprise of the winter season, coming in with little to no hype but putting up big numbers alongside his partner Arrow. Averaging over nine assists a game, Piccaboo was always out on the map trying to make things happen, and he is a support that could challenge the likes of Mata and Madlife if he gets more experience under his belt.

　　

2. Emperor, CJ Entus Blaze – 2.9 Kills/1.9 Deaths/5.9 Assists Average (3-4 Record)

Not the best record, but Emperor shared time with CptJack this season, not playing in two of the group stage matches against Team NB and SK Telecom T1 K.

　　Emperor was everything that Blaze needed in lane; aggressive, good vision control, and a great synergy with Lustboy, a player that was playing with his third starting AD Carry in less than two seasons. Before Corki fell out of the meta, Emperor was the premiere Corki player in Korea, not losing a single game on the champion, going 5-0 and holding an out of this world 12.8 KDA on the pilot champion. Lucian has now become his go-to champion, 5-2 overall and one of the only Korean ADC’s with a positive record on the new champion. He might have not been #1 overall and lost to the KT Bullets in the quarterfinals, but Emperor is an AD Carry that everyone should have their eyes on heading into the spring season of Champions.

　　

1. Looper, Samsung Ozone – 3.1 Kills, 1.1 Deaths, 8.5 Assists Average (11-1 Record)

Criticized for being switched in for Homme at the World Championships and Ozone having a disastrous tournament, Looper came into winter with big expectations on his shoulders and something to prove. He has done that and more as the best rookie of the winter season, having a KDA of 10.7 and fitting perfectly into the tank meta that has formed in Korea. Armed with teleport, Looper has become the signature Dr. Mundo player in Korea, 5-0 on the champion and dying only three times in the five times he has played the champion.

　　With the OGN finals approaching in a couple of days, his rookie campaign could end in a championship if he continues the play he has shown so far in the group stages and playoffs. With Homme watching on in the background, Looper has already become one of the premiere top lane talents in Korea – the position that the region has become known for since Champions started two years ago.

　　Image Credit: Inven, lol.gamepedia, OGN