Erlend “Nukeduck” Våtevik Holm is set to join
for the
2026 LEC Summer Season, pending Riot approval, the team announced on Monday. He’ll take over as head coach from
Jonas “Hidon” Vraa, whose future with the team remains uncertain. With this move, the Norwegian coach will reunite with
Alfonso “Mithy” Aguirre Rodríguez, who has been assisting Heretics remotely since the start of the year and previously worked alongside Nukeduck at
for nearly two years. Together, the duo reached Worlds twice and secured three LCS championships.
A turnaround for Heretics?
To LEC fans, it is no secret that Team Heretics has struggled throughout 2026—and even in previous splits. While the team has managed a few playoff appearances in the past, it has
not finished in the top half of the league since Spring 2024, when it placed fifth in the playoffs. More recently, the organization recorded its worst result to date,
finishing dead last in the 2026 Spring Split—a stark contrast to its seventh-place finish during the LEC Versus regular phase and fourth place in the group stage of that same format.
Since the start of 2026, Heretics has already made several roster changes. In Spring, the team replaced support
and jungler
—
who stepped down—with
and
, respectively. The organization is also planning further adjustments in the bot lane, with Byeon “Hype” Jeong-hyeon
reportedly set to join as the new AD carry, according to sources from
Sheep Esports.
Looking ahead to Summer, roster changes remain ongoing, with additional adjustments not ruled out as the team continues to reassess its direction.
More details in the coming days
As reported by
Sheep Esports, the squad
has already parted ways with its current assistant coach Emre “Arkhe” Akpınarlı, who was primarily responsible for drafting. Hidon, who had been overseeing team culture, is also expected to step back, with his future remaining uncertain following Nukeduck’s arrival. The organization has stated that “
more details on its coaching staff structure ahead of the Summer Split will be announced in the coming days.”
Per sources, the on-site assistant coach position remains unconfirmed on Heretics’ side. Meanwhile, Alfonso “Mithy” Aguirre Rodríguez and Fabian “FEBIVEN” Diepstraten are expected to continue working remotely within the organization as positional coaches, according to Sheep Esports sources.
