Oceania has never been considered a major region despite its size and number of global shoutcasters.
The harshest of critics which are probably the Oceanics themselves, might tell you that even calling the OCE a minor region is giving them too much credit.
So naturally it would be pretty hard to convince a marquee player like Huni or Uzi to sign for a team in Australia regardless of whatever fortune a team could throw their way.
Unless you’re a team in Korea, imported players play a huge role in building a competitive side and even a competitive league. One could argue Team Solomid would have achieved very little success if they had not acquired the services of European imports in Amazing, Santorin, Svenskeren and Bjergsen.
The strongest teams in the history of the EU LCS have included Korean stars; Huni, Expect, Reignover and Trick being among them.
The OPL have tried to sign Korean players in the past but none have ever had the impact that the team would have liked them to. In the last three OPL playoffs, a grand total of three imports have played on 15 possible rosters. The sole Korean import of the three players was in the most recent playoffs, playing in the third placed team (Mimic for Legacy Esports).
So surely importing Koreans isn’t the way to go, the players that aren’t getting picked up by North America and Europe are getting snatched up by Turkey and Brazil, and the players left over aren’t making a difference.
In North America, almost every team and even academy teams are filling up their rosters with imports from Europe, Korea and even Vietnam. It’s harder than ever for a born-and-bred American solo queue player to make it. As of June 2018, 11 of the 20 players in the 2017 NA Scouting Grounds aren’t on a Northern American team, and only one of those 11 is on a team.
That player is Value, taken at pick six by Team Liquid in the inaugural Scouting Grounds Draft and unused in the Team Liquid Academy Team. In what I believe to be a stroke of genius, Tectonic of the OPL in Oceania have signed him and a fellow North American, a journeyman support called Trance.
Mammoth Esports have also acquired the services of former Gold Coin United player Mash, who played on that roster alongside Madlife, Santorin, Fenix, Fly, Solo and was coached by Locodoco. These three players I believe to be incredibly important in improving the Oceania region, as NA has so much unwanted talent that other regions seem to write off.
OptTic top laner Dhokla played for Sin Gaming in the OPL Split two of 2017, just before he was signed to the OpTic Academy side and quickly promoted to the starting LCS roster. So surely the OPL has hope to foster growth in their players.
Tectonic is currently playing Gunkrab, the botlaner listed as a sub at the start of the split. Mash and Trance however have looked serviceable have looked serviceable on their rosters despite the Season eight metagame of League of Legends where it seems no former ADC main is safe.
Time will tell about the impact Mash, Trance and Value have on their teams, but so far in the history of the OPL, Korean imports that have failed to make huge waves in the OPL competition. There could be huge Value in North American players with not many other opportunities, and no language barriers playing in Australia.
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