The NLC has shown no signs of stopping when it comes to attracting legacy pros. According to sources close to Sheep Esports, Lucas "Santorin" Tao Kilmer Larsen is set to join NORD Esports in the NLC. This will mark the Danish jungler’s return to competitive play after announcing his retirement in October 2023. NORD will reportedly be the third team to field a roster featuring former LEC players.
Not born but raised in North America
Despite hailing from Europe, Santorin competed in North America for most of his career. His first year in Tier 1 play was spent on TSM in the 2015 LCS season, where they won Spring and finished second in Summer. Since then, some of his most notable accolades included four consecutive 2nd place playoff finishes in the LCS from Spring 2020 to Summer 2021. Following a disappointing run on a Team Liquid superteam in 2022 and a weaker 2023 season on Team Dignitas, Santorin announced his retirement from professional play on October 8, 2023 on his personal Twitter account.
With the
formation of Los Ratones and
Ruddy Esports featuring big-name legacy pros from Europe. NORD appears to be the next team to follow suit as other popular names and former LEC pros are expected on the roster. 2025 looks to be a big year for the NLC as viewers will be tuning in to see all-time greats duke it out against each other as well as the next generation of talents in the Nordic and UK regions.
Coming Back from Retirement
Earlier in the offseason, Santorin has been in talks with teams from the Turkish Championship League (TCL) to make his return to professional play. However, he will be joining a team in the NLC. Although the jungler initially retired to return to his home country, many ERL teams, including NORD, allow players to compete from their home locations.
With NORD Esports in the NLC, Santorin will be able to stream his own POV during official games, a rule introduced in the league by Caedrel's Los Ratones. This will enable Santorin to continue focusing on streaming and content creation while competing in official tournaments.
Regarding recent attention to the NLC, Sheep Esports will soon update its
Transfers Hub to integrate rosters from the Nordic ERL. You can also read our
guide about the NLC if you're unfamiliar with the league.
EDIT: It is worth noting that despite being retired, Santorin is currently rank 6 on the EUW ladder.
