The accomplished GM returns
Dignitas has hired a new face to lead their upcoming League Of Legends offseason, sources tell Sheep Esports on Sunday. Former NRG and CLG General Manager Jonathon “Jonathon” McDaniel is bringing his talents, credited with the unique underdog roster-building that brought incredible upset success to those teams, to Dignitas as general manager.
A fresh start for Dignitas LOL Division
Dignitas’ 2025 run, as part of the short-lived LTA North, was far from ideal. Despite occasional signs of promise, the team ended the league’s third and final split in last place. Now, Dignitas is once again looking to improve its fortunes with changes to next year’s roster. This time, those changes begin with a major shakeup in management: longstanding General Manager James “Bakery” Baker is stepping down from the GM role.
Bakery has overseen Dignitas’ League of Legends operations for several years and spent nearly a decade with the organization in various capacities. While he will continue in his role as Vice President, the position of General Manager will be filled by another experienced figure in the NA scene.
Who is Jonathon?
Jonathon's journey in esports began with Cloud9 Academy back in 2016. From there, he joined Golden Guardians, where he spent three years as the team’s assistant GM. It was his next step, however—taking over as General Manager for Counter Logic Gaming—that established his reputation as a standout roster builder. Under Jonathon’s leadership, CLG formed the Cristian “Palafox” Palafox and Juan “Contractz” Garcia duo, a partnership that has endured for four years since.
Not long after, he promoted Niship “Dhokla” Doshi from CLG Academy, completing a trio of previously overlooked NA talents. That same trio would go on to deliver Jonathon his first championship years later with NRG, famously sweeping G2 Esports 2-0 in a fan-favorite Worlds 2023 series. Following NRG’s incredible 2023 season, fans were stunned when the organization suddenly parted ways with Jonathon. Since then, he’s remained away from the competitive scene—until now.
It remains to be seen what Dignitas builds for 2026, but multiple roster changes are expected. With the arrival of Sentinels and a lot of the top teams being on the market, this 2026 LCS offseason will look like a strong rebuild for most rosters in the league.
Header Image Credit: Counter Logic Gaming, Dignitas
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