Boston Uprising release long-time GM HuK

The Overwatch League’s Boston Uprising have made the shock announcement that they have parted ways with President and General Manager Chris “HuK” Loranger.

HuK had served as the team’s most senior executive since their formation in 2017. However, the organization said the decision was made in the name of preserving their “competitive viability”.

HuK gone from the Uprising after five years

For many, HuK was the Boston Uprising. The Canadian-American dual national had been one of the few consistent faces in an organization known for constant upheaval and ever-changing rosters.

However, the Boston Uprising’s tenure in the Overwatch League has never been an especially happy one. While they enjoyed a successful season in 2018, the league’s inaugural year, they have never come close to replicating those highs. This included finishing dead last in the 2020 regular-season standings.

The 2022 season has been more of the same. The Uprising are currently the fourth-worst team in the West Division, with only the New York Excelsior, Paris Eternal, and winless Vancouver Titans beneath them. Furthermore, the team lost two players in embarrassing fashion.

Hwang “Marve1” Min-seo allegedly left the team to return to his native Korea and focus on his mental health. Two weeks later, Marve1 joined the Los Angeles Valiant. On the same day that Marve1 left, the Uprising released star offseason signing Kwon “Striker” Nam-joo. A controversial player in some regards, the Uprising released Striker after admitting they had failed to find a way to properly implement him into the team.

HuK’s departure appears to be the first step in the organization’s plans to clean house and rebuild.

The future of the Boston Uprising

The organization’s statement about HuK’s departure indicated that Assistant General Manager Vytis “Mineral” Lasaitis would be promoted to Interim General Manager. The statement went on to say that the organization would be looking to “readdress the roster”.

The Uprising current house a seven-person roster of mostly Korean talent. Only three members of the roster have been with Boston for more than a year and only one, Australian tank Leyton “Punk” Gilchrist, joined prior to 2021. The team is currently coached by Kim “Lori” Seung-hyun and two assistant coaches — Dennis “Barroi” Matz and Valentin “Ascroft” Wulfman.

It’s unclear how many of these 10 individuals, if any, will be included in the Uprising’s plans for the future. The team is currently participating in the qualifying matches for the Midseason Madness tournament and have a 1-2 record after three matches. They continue qualification on July 3 with a match against the Florida Mayhem, who are 5-5 on the season.

However, Uprising fans should likely prepare themselves for sweeping changes in the near future.

Header: Blizzard Entertainment