According to sources close to Sheep Esports, TLN Group, a Toulon-based company founded in 2023, is set to join LFL Division 2, the second tier of the French League of Legends ecosystem. Named TLN Pirates, the organization is part of a larger project in downtown Toulon centered around a gaming bar and professional player facilities, spanning nearly 400 square meters across three floors.

Two well-known French-speaking athletes are involved as partners: Gaëtan Bong, a former Cameroonian international footballer, and Mariama Signaté, a former member of France’s national handball team with 147 caps.

For the 2026 Division 2 season, TLN secured a high-profile head coach in Charly “Djoko” Guillar — a historic figure in the French LoL scene who first made his name in the EU LCS before several years competing in the LFL. Djoko notably claimed multiple titles in 2019 with the now-defunct LDLC OL, winning the Spring, Summer, and overall season finals.

Also responsible for roster management, Djoko has been in contact with numerous players and agents in recent weeks to organize tryouts. So far, three European players have been locked in: top laner Muhanad “Spooder” Maitham Sharad, AD carry Nikola “Axelent” Petrusev, and support Tomislav “Thomas” Nanjara. Paid above the LFL2 average, the trio will compete at the LFL Invitational, aiming for a swift promotion to Division 1.

A twofold project

The Bong–Signaté duo joins three entrepreneurs leading a €4 million project, according to figures from Le Journal des Entreprises, combining the physical venue and esports investment. As reported by Nice Matin, the bar and gaming house alone will cost €1.5 million, entirely funded by TLN Group. While the first floor will serve as a bar, the two upper levels are designed for the team’s future esports operations.

The group is led by Alex Péron, formerly “Head of Growth” at SupplyFrame — a U.S.-based business networking platform in the electronics supply chain, acquired by Siemens in 2021.

In an interview with Le Journal des Entreprises earlier this year, Péron already described entering LFL Division 2 as TLN’s first major goal, calling it a “significant investment.” “This professional team is the cherry on top of the project. Our ambition is to bring gaming culture to Toulon and turn the city into a leading esports hub in France and Europe,” Péron said.

Dreams of LFL... and LEC

Supporting him are Philippe Mino, the group’s Chief Operating Officer, and Teddy “PucKix” Celdran, who oversees the esports business side. Celdran, described as the “founder of Thimoj” and a “young entrepreneur based in Miami,” has a colorful résumé: including software creation for animated films, alleged short film thefts, supposed cryptocurrency success, and unverifiable partnerships with Disney, Accenture, LEGO, Louis Vuitton, and Tencent.

For the TLN Pirates project, Celdran expressed ambitious goals in an interview with Le Var Information — starting small in Division 2 but with the aim to “rise to the LFL.” In the same piece, Alex Péron went further, suggesting that “joining the LEC, Europe’s highest division,” could be their ultimate dream.