Theo Epstein appointed Epstein to replace interim general manager (GM) Mike Port. Epstein is credited with initiating the trade of Nomar Garciaparra and making key contract acquisitions including those of Kevin Millar and Curt Schilling during his first tenure as Red Sox GM. The new players were regarded as instrumental in breaking the so-called "Curse of the Bambino" when the Red Sox defeated the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2004 World Series. It was the Red Sox' first World Series championship since 1918, ending what remains the third longest championship drought in the history of any Major League team, after the Chicago
Team Curse team hired former LMQ head coach Peter Zhang, and on 13 December, Curse announced that Jae-hun "FeniX" Kim would replace Voyboy for the 2015 season. On 19 December 2014, Curse Inc. announced that Team Curse would move forward without bearing the name "Curse" as a title sponsor, in order to allow the organization to continue promoting Curse Voice with other LCS teams while also complying with new LCS regulations regarding the sponsorship of more than one team. On 6 January 2015, Team Curse merged with Team Liquid, taking the latter's name; the "League of Legends" roster was included in the