Karsa (gamer)

{{Infobox video game player

| ID = Karsa

| name = Hung Hao-hsuan

| image = Karsa (cropped).jpg

| caption = Hung in 2017

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1997|2|14|df=y}}

| birth_place =

| nationality = Taiwanese

| team = Talon Esports

| role = Jungler

| league = Championship Pacific

| games = League of Legends

| nickname =

| career_start = 2014

| career_end =

| years1 = 2014

| team1 = Machi 17

| years2 = 2015–2017

| team2 = Flash Wolves

| years3 = 2018–2019

| team3 = Royal Never Give Up

| years4 = 2020–2021

| team4 = Top Esports

| years5 = 2022

| team5 = Victory Five

| years6 = 2023

| team6 = Weibo Gaming

| years7 = 2024

| team7 = CTBC Flying Oyster

| years8 = 2025–present

| team8 = Talon Esports

| highlights =

MSI champion (2018)
MSC champion (2020)
Rift Rivals champion (2018)
3× LPL champion
4× LMS champion

{{Infobox Chinese

| child = yes

| t = 洪浩軒

| s = 洪浩轩

| p = Hóng Hàoxuān

| poj = Âng Hō Hian

}}

| module = {{Infobox medal templates

| medals =

{{MedalCountry | {{TPE}} }}

| titlestyle = background:#DDDDDD; font-weight:bold

| expand = yes

}}

Hung Hao-hsuan ({{lang-zh|t=洪浩軒}}; born {{birth date|1997|2|14|df=y}}),{{cite news |last1=Jang |first1=David |title=[TMI Interview] TES Karsa: "At first, I played mid. Then, I saw a friend play Lee Sin." |url=https://www.invenglobal.com/articles/12062/tmi-interview-tes-karsa-at-first-i-played-mid-then-i-saw-a-friend-play-lee-sin |access-date=7 May 2021 |work=InvenGlobal |date=25 August 2020}} better known as Karsa, is a Taiwanese professional League of Legends player for Talon Esports. He is known for his strategic jungle play and found success domestically and internationally during his time as a member of the Flash Wolves, winning several LMS titles and topping many international events. Hung has long been considered by many analysts and other professional players as one of the most mechanically skillful players from Taiwan.{{cite news |author=rach |title=Interview with FW's Maple & Karsa IG's mid-jungle synergy is the strongest; we're afraid of meeting EDG. |url=https://dotesports.com/league-of-legends/news/interview-with-fws-maple-karsa-igs-midjungle-synergy-is-the-strongest-were-afrai-6729 |accessdate=15 December 2019 |work=Dot Esports |date=9 October 2015}}

Career

= Machi 17 =

Hung began his professional career in June 2014 with team Machi 17.{{cite news |last1=Plant |first1=Mike |title=The Best League of Legends Players Ever |url=https://www.hotspawn.com/league-of-legends/guides/the-best-league-of-legends-players-ever |access-date=7 May 2021 |work=Hotspawn |date=28 February 2020}}

= Flash Wolves =

In January 2015, Hung joined Flash Wolves.{{Cite news|url=https://dotesports.com/league-of-legends/news/karsa-leaves-flash-wolves-19178|title=Karsa leaves Flash Wolves|last=Abbas|first=Malcolm|date=2 December 2017|work=Dot Esports|publisher=Gamurs|access-date=27 December 2017|language=en-US}} Due to their 1st-place finish at IEM Taipei, Flash Wolves were invited to compete at the IEM Season IX - World Championship. After a Round 1 loss against SK Gaming, Hung and the team went on to beat Cloud9 in Round 1 of the losers bracket. Round 2 of the losers bracket saw the team's 2nd meeting of the tournament with SK Gaming. A win against the European team secured the yoe Flash Wolves a place in the bracket stage. They were eventually knocked out of the tournament in the semifinals after losing to Team SoloMid.{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=1&v=vtEuGgTvqmw|title=Worlds Feature: Flash Wolves Karsa|date=8 October 2015|publisher=|via=YouTube}}

With a second and third place LMS finish under their belt, the Flash Wolves had obtained a tie for the most LMS Championship Points behind AHQ, and were invited to the 2015 Taiwan Regional Finals. There, FW avenged their playoff loss by defeating Hong Kong Esports 3-2 and acquiring a spot in the 2015 Season World Championship.{{cite web|url=http://euw.lolesports.com/articles/killer-karsa-hunt-yoe-flash-wolves-new-jungler|title=Killer Karsa: On the hunt with Yoe Flash Wolves' new jungler|publisher=LoL Esports}}{{cite web|url=http://www.cw.com.tw/article/article.action?id=5065618|title=台灣電競小子殺進百億新產業|publisher=天下雜誌|language=Chinese}}

At the World Championship, the FW were expected by many analysts to have one of the weakest showings of any team in attendance. However, after a 4-2 group stage with wins over favorites KOO Tigers and Counter Logic Gaming, the Flash Wolves emerged first from groups, becoming the first team in two years to finish ahead of a Korean team in groups at Worlds. In the tournament quarterfinals, FW lost 1–3 to Origen, earning a top eight finish.{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ts-AjeNTco|title=Karsa on the Flash Wolves in 2015: 'We went through a lot this year'|date=18 December 2015|publisher=|via=YouTube}}{{cite web|url=http://www.setn.com/News.aspx?NewsID=99930|title=【哇潮】激似花媽的人是誰？不可不知台灣電競隊「閃電狼」|publisher=三立新聞網|language=Chinese}}

Hung and the Flash Wolves won the 2016 Spring LMS, qualifying for the 2016 Mid-Season Invitational. At MSI Flash Wolves reached the semi-finals of the 2016 Mid-Season Invitational.{{cite web|url=http://www.riftherald.com/2016/5/13/11672880/clg-fw-msi-2016-preview|title=Counter Logic Gaming can accomplish a North American milestone in the MSI semifinals against Flash Wolves|author=Pete Volk|date=13 May 2016|work=The Rift Herald}}{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/15517951/north-america-vs-taiwan|title=Battle for Respect: North America vs. Taiwan|work=ESPN.com|date=12 May 2016}}

On 2 December 2017, it was announced that Hung had left Flash Wolves.

= Royal Never Give Up =

Later, on 20 December, it was announced that he had joined the Chinese team Royal Never Give Up (RNG).{{Cite web|url=https://dotesports.com/league-of-legends/news/karsa-royal-never-give-up-19665|title=Karsa joins Royal Never Give Up|last=Abbas|first=Malcolm|date=20 December 2017|work=Dot Esports|publisher=Gamurs|access-date=27 December 2017|language=en-US}} In his first season with RNG, Hung won the 2018 Spring LPL season and qualified for the 2018 Mid-Season Invitational.{{citation needed|date=May 2021}} Hung left Royal Never Give Up in November 2019.{{cite news |last1=Heath |first1=Jerome |title=Karsa joins the LPL's Top Esports as the team's starting jungler |url=https://dotesports.com/league-of-legends/news/karsa-joins-top-esports |accessdate=15 December 2019 |work=Dot Esports |date=6 December 2019}}