LoL - LEC: Natus Vincere officially joins the LEC

Natus Vincere (NAVI) announced they will officially take over Rogue’s spot in the LEC starting with the 2025 Summer Split. As previously reported by Sheep Esports, the Ukrainian organization has finalized the acquisition, marking its long-anticipated return to the professional League of Legends.

This marks the end of a chapter unfolding in the background for over a year. Rogue’s parent company, Infinite Reality, had been seeking a buyer since late 2023. Per sources, the team had its first discussions with Team Falcons in mid-2024 and Nigma Galaxy later on, both of which failed to come to fruition due to differing terms or Riot's approval processes.

As a result, Rogue had no choice but to field a last-minute roster at the end of 2024, entering the market late and left with limited options. Still led by Emil "Larssen" Larsson, the team ultimately finished in last place in both the Winter and Spring Splits of 2025.

NAVI will be the first new addition to the LEC since Karmine Corp joined at the beginning of 2024, taking over Astralis’ slot. While NAVI’s name may not carry much weight in the League of Legends scene today, it’s one of the most recognizable and respected organizations in global esports.

Founded in 2009, Natus Vincere rose to fame through Counter-Strike and has remained a major force in that ecosystem ever since. In 2024, NAVI reaffirmed its place among CS elite by capturing titles at both the Esports World Cup and the Copenhagen Major. This adds up to what could be considered their golden era from the legendary 2021 run, during a year where they lifted trophies at the Intel Grand Slam and Stockholm Major. That era was incarnated by Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev, widely regarded as one of the greatest CS:GO players of all time. Though s1mple now plays under FaZe Clan, his rise and prime years were inextricably tied to NAVI’s brand.

Beyond CS, NAVI has fielded top rosters in VALORANT, Mobile Legends, PUBG Mobile, Apex Legends, TFT, and Dota 2 — the latter of which made history in 2011 by winning The International’s inaugural edition.

While NAVI hasn’t competed in League of Legends since the disbandment of the LCL and its roster in 2017, the organization did maintain a brief stint in the Russian regional league. Now, eight years after stepping away from the game, NAVI is set to re-enter the ecosystem at Europe’s highest level — and they're not wasting time.

"As part of the transition, Rogue’s current players, coaches, and analysts were fully transferred to NAVI," Riot Games explained in a press release. "NAVI are currently weighing up all their options, utilising their wealth of knowledge and experience in esports to build as strong a team as they can for the upcoming Summer Split".

The team, which has chosen to make its LEC debut as early as the upcoming Summer Split, has already begun shaping its roster. Adam “Adam” Maanane and Larssen are expected to remain with the lineup through the end of the year as previously reported by Sheep Esports.

While those choices might appear to be the path of least resistance, sources close to Sheep Esports confirm that NAVI is still actively exploring options for the bot lane. The situation, however, is far from simple. In acquiring Rogue’s slot, NAVI also inherits the contractual obligations tied to its former players, a factor that complicates the rebuilding process heading into their first split.

Sheep Esports will continue to report on NAVI's offseason decisions about its debut roster in the LEC. To keep track of the LEC roster moves in the offseason, check out the Sheep Esports Transfers Hub.