Sources: mCon esports rebuilds around Dutch regional core of Robba and Seal

Dutch organization mCon esports have now secured a roster formed around top laner Robba, jungler Pipibaat, mid laner Toffe, bot laner Afriibi, and support Seal to compete in the Elite Series: League of Legends (ESLOL), according to sources close to Sheep Esports. The team will also be assisted by the veteran coaching duo of Brian "Dipsy" Diepstraten and Dylan "The Law" van Oord.

Following a challenging 2023 season and a middling start to 2024, mCon esports have now decided to compete once more at the highest level and make a push for qualification in the EMEA Masters. According to sources, this decision directly correlates with the organization securing a major new sponsor and additional funding. While the organization is still far from matching the salaries of larger ERLs, it is expected to remain safely among the top half of highest paying teams in the Elite Series for this split.

Marking the return of Rob "Robba" Zoon to competitive play, with whom mCon previously won two titles in the 2021 Dutch League, the organization is now well on its way to returning to its former glory. Coming in as another strong addition, Fabian "Seal" de Lint, the reigning ESLOL champion, should prove to bring strong leadership to the budding roster.

Per general opinion, the team is expected to be one of two top contenders for the Benelux this split. In order to prove themselves, mCon will most notably have to fight against Belgian organization ZennIT, who were just reported to have signed Romain "Guertas" Polo, another former regional champion who competed alongside Robba.

Still, questions remain surrounding the rest of mCon's roster. Despite strong individual skills, both Pascal "Pipibaat" Haygarth and Tautvydas "Toffe" Gegeckas have yet to prove themselves in a major team. While the two have now had several splits of competitive experience respectively, the newly formed mid-jungle duo will have to work hard to level themselves up and assert dominance over the league.

Jungler Pipibaat was previously most known for his time with mCon in the ESLOL, Vanir in the NLC, and Diamant Esports in the EBL last split, with whom he ended in 3rd place. On the other hand, Toffe has not yet competed in 2024, with his most recent experience having been with Gamespace Esports in the GLL, with whom he also reached 3rd place in the Greek regional league.

Last but not least, the team will also be taking a gamble on rookie Latvian bot laner Afriibi. According to sources, this position was the last to be filled for mCon esports. The team also considered several other contenders to fill this position, with the most notable one having been Fabienne "Clef" Kersting, who would have marked one of the very few women to compete in an ERL 1st Division. Ultimately, while Clef had the skills and was even one of the team's first choices, reasons beyond her performance led the team to side with the Latvian player instead.

While plenty of proven regional talents would have been options for the organization, information received from sources indicates that both mCon and Seal agreed upon seeking a talented rookie player, whom the veteran support could eventually help train into becoming a major threat. This year, Afriibi competed within the UK's 4 Nations league, one of the NLC's many Tier 3 regional leagues. Young and talented, the bot laner is also known for having peaked in Challenger at 930 LP this season.