Sources: The LEC roster changes that could have happened

Teams have not been idle this offseason. Of the ten organizations competing in the LEC, seven made changes to their lineups ahead of the Summer Split, which gets underway this Friday in Paris as part of Karmine Corp's Roadtrip event. Karmine Corp, together with Movistar KOI and Natus Vincere, stands as one of only three teams entering the summer with the same roster and coaching staff intact. But behind the confirmed moves, a number of other potential changes were discussed before ultimately falling through.

Various sources across LEC organizations, including team representatives, agents, and players, speaking to Sheep Esports on condition of anonymity, revealed several roster changes that were seriously considered during the offseason but ultimately never materialized.

"We searched in EU, we searched in NA, we searched in China, we searched in Vietnam, we searched in Korea." As the coaching staff explained in a video released on Thursday, Fnatic explored a wide range of options before settling on Lim "Soboro" Seong-min as Panagiotis "Empyros" Tantis' replacement in the toplane. Fnatic explained in the same video that their search down to a shortlist of three or four candidates. According to our information, one of them was Seong "Guardian" Tae-hyo, the current toplaner of T1 Esports Academy.

Alongside several South Korean toplaners, European prospect Ivan "NightSlayer" Bilous was also included on Fnatic’s shortlist. However, unlike Guardian, the player never entered into discussions with the organization.

Had the move gone through, it would have marked the second consecutive year in which Fnatic recruited from the academy of the reigning three-time world champions, following Yun "Poby" Sung-won's arrival in 2025.

Natus Vincere will head into the Summer Split unchanged, with the organization making no public noise during the offseason. However, behind the scenes, NAVI did explore options at two positions: toplane and AD Carry. At AD Carry, the organization considered replacing Lee "SamD" Jae-hoon with either Josip "Jopa" Čančar (SK Gaming) or Matyáš "Carzzy" Orság (Team Vitality). Neither avenue progressed, largely due to financial constraints.

SK Gaming’s €150,000 buyout for Jopa proved too steep for NAVI, which was not prepared to invest that amount. Unlike the previous year, when SK secured a significant sale for Boukada, the organization could not find a similar outcome this time around.

Carzzy was a different case: while his buyout was deemed manageable, his salary requirements placed him beyond NAVI’s budget.

After replacing Eren "Lot" Yıldız with Óscar "Oscarinin" Muñoz Jiménez in the toplane, GIANTX explored options to find a new destination for the Turkish player. Among the teams approached was Natus Vincere, with GIANTX offering Lot to the Ukrainian organization as a potential LEC option. While NAVI considered the possibility, the team ultimately decided against making any changes.

Despite exploring the market, NAVI concluded that the available alternatives were not worth the cost to justify a move. The organization remained confident in its current roster and opted to continue with the same lineup for a third consecutive split, prioritizing continuity and the experience the squad has built together as it pushes for a Worlds qualification spot.

However, SK Gaming’s rising AD Carry Josip "Jopa" Čančar quickly established himself as one of the standout rookies of the LEC season, attracting attention after an impressive debut split. With Natus Vincere exploring a potential move for the player, SK Gaming began considering alternatives in the event of a departure.

One name that emerged as a potential replacement was veteran AD Carry Patrik "Patrik" Jírů, who previously played alongside Mihael “Mikyx” Mehle during their time together at Excel Esports. Patrik, who currently competes for BIG in the Prime League, was among the names considered by SK Gaming as a potential replacement should Jopa leave the organization.

GIANTX has been particularly active since the end of the Spring Split. The organization further embraced its Spanish identity by signing Oscarinin in the toplane and promoting to the AD Carry role. However, Flakked's return to the LEC was not guaranteed.

According to our sources, GIANTX was the second organization, alongside Natus Vincere, to explore a move for Carzzy as a potential replacement for Oh "Noah" Hyeon-taek. However, as was the case with NAVI, the discussions quickly stalled due to financial considerations.

Marek "Humanoid" Brázda's departure was among the most notable developments of the offseason. While An "FIESTA" Hyeon-seo will ultimately replace the Czech midlaner, at least two other candidates were considered: (Solary) and (Galions), arguably the two standout midlaners across the ERL ecosystem this season.

Given their performances, both appeared to have legitimate claims to an LEC opportunity, though they will have to wait at least one more split once they become free agents to truly enter discussions with LEC teams.

The midlane was not the only area where changes were contemplated within the Hive, as discussions did take place regarding the botlane. As previously reported, Carzzy could have landed at either NAVI or GIANTX. Had that happened, Vitality Academy's AD Carry might have been in line for his first opportunity in the LEC, but no discussion was ever held with the player.

At support, Vitality also explored a potential reunion with Raphaël “Targamas” Crabbé, with discussions taking place between the two parties. However, the move ultimately failed to materialize, something Targamas appeared to hint at when he expressed his disappointment on X about missing out on an LEC return.

Team Heretics recognized the need for change. In addition to confirming Kacper “Daglas” Dagiel's promotion and accelerating Byeon "Hype" Jeong-hyeon's integration into the starting lineup, the Spanish organization revamped its coaching staff by appointing Erlend "Nukeduck" Holm as Head Coach, reuniting him with Alfonso "mithy" Rodríguez following their collaboration at FlyQuest.

However, the overhaul could have extended even further. According to our sources, Heretics also considered making a change in the midlane. Two names familiar to the organization's fanbase were discussed: , who represented the team during the 2023 Summer Split, and , currently competing for the academy roster. Neither move ultimately materialized, as there was no consensus within the staff that a change was necessary.

Although not competing in the LEC, Dignitas also explored options in Europe during the offseason. The LCS organization held discussions with G2 Esports’ academy team, G2 NORD, which competes in the ERL ecosystem. The team had made headlines earlier this year by signing North American midlaner Victor Alexander "Toasty" Chea in a surprise move.

The move quickly paid off, as Toasty helped G2 NORD secure a Prime League title and notably eliminate Witchcraft from the Winter EMEA Masters. However, Dignitas and G2 NORD were ultimately unable to reach an agreement. As a result, Cristian "Palafox" Palafox will remain the team’s starting midlaner.