Sources: NAVI to acquire Rhilech for 2026, marking second jungle addition this offseason | Sheep Esports

As previously reported by Sheep Esports, Natus Vincere’s jungler for the 2025 Summer Split will be Francisco "Thayger" Mazo Sánchez. However, as noted in the report, the Spanish player joined the Ukrainian organization on a rare short-term deal for just one split. NAVI's choice was intentional, though — they already knew who they wanted for 2026. That jungler is none other than Enes "Rhilech" Uçan, sources tell Sheep Esports on Tuesday.

As previously reported, Turkish players have faced significant challenges in joining the LEC this offseason. In order to work in Germany, Turkish players often experience delays in visa approvals. By the time NAVI joined the LEC, it was too late to bring Rhilech in for the Summer Split — otherwise, he was the Ukrainian organization's first choice for its debut roster.

With Rhilech unavailable in time for Summer, NAVI faced a risk: waiting until the 2025–2026 offseason could open the door for other teams to pursue him. Confident in his potential, NAVI decided to secure him early, reaching a mid-season buyout agreement with BK ROG Esports to secure him for the 2026 season. The buyout amount was not disclosed to Sheep Esports.

This move is a double win for NAVI — not only do they lock in their preferred jungler ahead of time, but they also gain a head start on his visa process, ensuring he’s allowed to compete in the LEC next year.

Though Rhilech and his agent were initially hesitant, they found themselves convinced by NAVI's intense commitment to developing him as an LEC talent. Rhilech's spot in the LEC next year is secured, but there's a drawback: He won’t be competing at all for the Summer Split. Following his transfer, BK ROG will bring in a new jungler for the Summer Split.

During the offseason, Rhilech was also considered by other LEC teams such as Team BDS and Fnatic. However, his short-term visa issues made any move to those teams too risky for the Summer Split.

At just nineteen years old, Rhilech already boasts an impressive track record. The jungler began in the Turkish academy circuit before joining DSYRE in Italy’s second division for Summer 2022, where he won the split and earned promotion to the PG Nationals. He placed third in Spring and second in Summer 2023, qualifying for his first EMEA Masters. In 2024, still with DSYRE, he won the LIT Spring title and returned to EMEA Masters, though the team was once again eliminated in the group stage.

A Summer move to BK ROG in the LFL led to another EMEA appearance; under the new Swiss format, Rhilech reached the quarterfinals before falling 3‑2 to Vitality.Bee. In 2025, BK ROG underwent a full roster rebuild, with Rhilech as the sole returning player and Šimon "OMON Řiháček joining in the mid lane. The duo clicked instantly — BK ROG won the LFL Spring Split, giving Rhilech his third domestic title and a fourth appearance at EMEA Masters. This time, he reached the semifinals, where he was eliminated by the reigning and eventual champions, Los Ratones.

Nevertheless, Rhilech has experienced a rapid rise through the ERLs and now toward the LEC, making quick jumps from one tier to the next. Many ERL players spend several years in regional leagues before reaching the LEC. Thayger, for instance, has been competing in the Superliga — Spain's first division — since 2022. However, his performance has steadily improved, and he now appears to be peaking.

Though the move is unique, it's not completely unprecedented. In 2022, after benching jungler Oskar "Selfmade" Boderek, Team Vitality scouted Zhou "Bo" Yang-Bo — a high-potential jungler from China. However, since he was the first Chinese jungler to be acquired in the LEC, there was uncertainty about whether his visa could be processed in time to replace Selfmade for the Summer Split.

This led Vitality to sign a second jungler in Kang "Haru" Min-seung on a one-split deal. At the same time, they had already acquired Bo and started his visa process ahead of the 2023 season, even bringing him to Berlin early to help him adapt to European culture and language. In 2023, Vitality finished first in the regular season, but faltered in playoffs. After that, Bo never managed to replicate that early success in the LEC.

More recently, FlyQuest signed İbrahim "Gakgos" Samet Bulut, a top laner from Turkey, for the Spring Split. Despite paying a buyout fee, the Turkish player has yet to appear in an official match. He already joined the team to begin the visa process — similar to Rhilech — as FlyQuest is betting on his long-term potential. In the upcoming Summer Split, Gakgos is expected to share playtime with top laner Gabriël "Bwipo" Rau, in a move that also allows the experienced veteran to mentor the rookie.

Though NAVI has yet to play a game in the LEC, the team is already building for the future. While Thayger will fill the jungle role during the organization’s debut split, NAVI has secured a promising option for 2026 in Rhilech, who will make his LEC debut in the Winter Split. For the Summer Split, NAVI has opted to retain Adam "Adam" Maanane and Emil "Larssen" Larsson in the solo lanes, with former jungler Kim "Malrang" Geun-seong transitioning to support alongside South Korean prospect Lee "Hans SamD" Jae-hoon in the bot lane.

This move once again highlights NAVI’s confidence in Rhilech’s potential. The organization is well aware that more junglers — potentially available without a buyout — will hit the market in November, but they are not interested in exploring other options. It’s already set in stone: Rhilech will be their jungler in 2026.