After two splits in the 2025 LEC, RKR returns to BIG, the team he left in 2021
Steven "RKR" Chen is set to make his return to Berlin International Gaming (BIG) in the Prime League for the 2026 season, according to sources close to Sheep Esports. After navigating through a rough 2025 season in LEC with SK Gaming, RKR’s journey leads him back to the German organization where he first made a name for himself. RKR will be the centre of the project, and BIG will build the roster around him.
This offseason marks a return home for many prominent professional players from Germany, and RKR is no exception. Just like his former teammates Janik “JNX” Bartels and Tim "Keduii" Willers, he is making his return to the Prime League in 2026, joining BIG, an iconic club in the German league where he made a name for himself in 2020 and 2021. This team was his first stepping stone toward the LEC, which allowed him to join MAD Lions in 2022. However, he was only able to play one split there before being benched. Afterwards, he spent two years with BDS Academy before returning to the LEC with SK Gaming in 2025.
Return to home ground
His 2025 season was especially challenging. After two splits in the LEC with SK Gaming, where the team finished in 9th place twice before he was replaced by Felix "Abbedagge" Braun, RKR experienced a tumultuous season symbolizing the roster's dysfunction. SK was one of the league's most unstable teams, fielding as many as 10 different players throughout the year, which heavily impacted their overall performance.
Despite these difficulties, RKR is returning to his roots, where his career truly took off. The German midlaner, who had already won two Prime League titles with BIG in 2021, sees this new chapter as a chance to rebound and write a fresh page in his story. His time in the ERL scene, especially with BDS Academy in 2024, cemented his reputation as one of the most impressive carries in regional league history. That year, he led BDS to unprecedented dominance by winning the LFL Summer Split with a 17-1 record, breaking numerous records in kills and assists. His team also conquered the EMEA Masters, solidifying his status as a rising star, despite the common perception that he’s "too strong for ERLs but unable to succeed in the LEC."
This return to BIG, the organization that first made him shine, marks a new beginning for RKR. With undeniable talent and previous successes, he could be the missing piece to restore BIG’s prestige in the Prime League and maybe even dream of returning to the highest level, the LEC.
For more roster changes, check out our Transfers Hub and Offseason Live Tracker.
Header Photo Credit: Wojciech Wandzel/Riot Games








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