Sources: Naak Nako set to be promoted to Vitality's LEC team

Kaan "Naak Nako" Okan is climbing the ranks. According to Sheep Esports sources, Vitality.Bee's LFL toplaner is set to be promoted to the LEC team, the League of Legends EMEA Championship, for next season. This decision was made by the coaching staff.

James "Mac" MacCormack and Patrick "Pad" Suckow-Breum believe that a change in the toplane would be beneficial and aim to place greater importance on Vitality's academy, which achieved excellent results this season. Vitality is also reportedly exploring options in the midlane, hinting at a possible departure of French midlaner Vincent “Vetheo” Berrié.

Naak Nako arrived in the French league last year as an unknown player, presented as a potential future top talent. The 19-year-old Turkish player lived up to expectations from the very first week, delivering a stellar performance on his Gwen against GameWard. However, Vitality Bee and Naak Nako's results in the Spring Split were mixed.

After a strong start, the Hive suffered a setback midway through, losing four games in a row. The team bounced back to finish the regular season in fine form and qualified for the playoffs, but their quest for the title came to an abrupt halt. Vitality Bee were soundly beaten 0-3 in the playoffs by a surprising Gentle Mates team. The toplaner was overwhelmed and largely dominated by his opponent, Onurcan "Ragner" Aslan.

After this setback, Vitality Bee got back on track during the Summer Split, with Kacper “Daglas” Dagiel replacing Oskar “Selfmade” Boderek in the jungle. However, the club's botlane was more often the driving force than its toplane, where Naak Nako alternated between very strong performances and challenging ones. The TCL Summer 2022 runner-up with Fenerbahçe primarily played K’Sante (8 games in total) but also showcased his skill on Gnar, a champion he hadn’t played in the Spring. This time, Vitality made it to the playoffs with ease, solidly holding third place—behind BDS Academy and Karmine Corp Blue, but ahead of the rest.

This ranking was confirmed during the playoffs, with Vitality and Naak Nako defeating GameWard and Team GO but ultimately being eliminated by BDSA, the Summer Split champions. However, it was at the subsequent EMEA Masters that the French club delivered its finest performance of the year. The Hive reached the final in convincing fashion, emerging from the Swiss Stage with a 4-1 record. Naak Nako was in top form, achieving the most solo kills during this phase (11).

In the playoffs, Vitality Bee swept aside Barça eSports and then two LFL teams (BK ROG and Team GO) before earning the right to a rematch with BDS Academy in the grand final in Munich. However, against more experienced players accustomed to performing on stage, the result was the same: a 3-1 victory for a BDSA team that was undeniably untouchable this Summer. Naak Nako's surprise pick of Vayne, which he played in two games during the Final, was not enough to unsettle the Swiss organization. Nevertheless, the toplaner showcased the diversity of his champion pool—a mark of greatness.