Team Coast signs European jungler Lucas 'Santorin' Larsen

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

On May 5th onGamers reported that Team Coast would unveil a new roster this week as announced by Owner and Managing Partner David Slan. Today Slan has confirmed to onGamers the first of many changes to come with the official signing of 17 year-old Lucas 'Santorin' Tao Kilmer Larsen.

“We’re particularly excited to have Santorin as part of the Coast family,” Slan told onGamers. “He’s very aggressive, but plays the game with a level of maturity more comparable to a veteran player. Santorin will be moving from his home in Denmark to join the team here in the US.”

Current Coast jungler Joshua 'NintenDudeX' Atkins has been moved to a substitute on the team's official roster lineup.

“I decided to go with Coast, because I wanted to try something new," Larsen told onGamers. "I had played with many European teams with great success, but I felt like it was time to make a change."

"I chose to join the Team Coast organization because the players are all great guys - and I can't wait to play with them. The Coast organization has a terrific attitude towards the players. They care about the players, and they want to do as much as possible to help us succeed.”

Larsen will be joining his teammates at the new Team Coast gaming house that will be in Las Vegas. Larsen is expected to move within the next month, with the rest of the team joining him by late June.

Slan wishes to build a stable roster of young talent dedicated to the game and willing to put in the practice required to compete as a world-class team.

"After the last two Splits and this week's All-Star event, it was clear that in order to be competitive in NA and with the rest of the world, it was necessary for Team Coast to make significant changes," said Slan.

"We wanted to build a team of talented individuals who are willing to learn to play the game differently, with an aggressive play-style and a focus on the current meta. In NA, Cloud 9 has come closest to what is required."

"Santorin fits the mold of the aggressive, pressure-oriented Jungler we were looking for. But he has other qualities we really like. Because he is young, he doesn’t have a lot of bad habits. He has excellent mechanics, but he also shows a level of maturity in his decision-making that’s unusual in a player his age."

Slan continued, "Santorin also has a deep understanding of the game. He is willing to make difficult decisions, and communicate that to his teammates. We also put a high value on good manners. He’s a very nice young man who will bring his strong work ethic to the team."

Larsen's move to the United States marks another significant roster change for North America's top teams, which has seen former Copenhagen Wolves star Maurice 'Amazing' Stückenschneider join Team SoloMid, South Korea's Shin 'Seraph' Woo Yeong currently trying out for Counter Logic Gaming, adding on to current TSM and CLG European teammates Søren 'Bjergsen' Bjerg and Marcel 'dexter' Feldkamp, respectively.

"We have nothing against NA Junglers,” said Slan. “There is a lot of talent here. We just didn’t find anyone with all the qualities Santorin brought to the table. Team Coast has significant resources, and we are willing to use them to build the best possible team."

For those interested in watching Larsen, he will be streaming regularly on Team Coast's Twitch Channel.