Sources: BrokenBlade chooses to represent Turkey at the Esports Nations Cup

The first Turkish player set to represent the country at the Esports Nations Cup in League of Legends is now known. , the toplaner of and a multiple-time champion in the LEC in recent years, will join the roster for the competition scheduled later this year, sources told Sheep Esports.

While some expected Kaan "Naak Nako" Okan, the toplaner for Team Vitality, to be a strong candidate for the role, Turkey ultimately chose the G2 Esports toplaner as a starter. Naak Nako was reportedly offered the substitute position behind BrokenBlade but declined. There had been some uncertainty regarding which nation BrokenBlade would represent, as he also holds German citizenship, but the player has opted to represent Turkey despite interest from Germany.

In an interview released Thursday, France's Head Coach Zeph revealed he had heard BrokenBlade would be playing for Turkey, noting that the country would be one of the few teams to fear across EMEA. Sources previously confirmed to Sheep Esports that BrokenBlade would represent Turkey, with commitment secured on both sides, though the move remains pending ENC's approval. Having suspected BrokenBlade's decision for several weeks, Germany has already opened talks with other toplaners.

As previously reported by Sheep Esports, the team’s coaching staff will be led by Ali “Craft1x” Aklan, former head coach of Istanbul Wildcats in the TCL and BK ROG Esports. He will be assisted by Emre “Arkhe” Akpınarlı, currently an assistant coach for .

Other LEC players are expected to join the roster for Turkey. Among them are , jungler for , and midlaner , who currently plays for Team Heretics in the LEC.

Turkey's National Team Manager, Mert "Mert" Tanrıverdi, selected by the Esports Foundation, has known BrokenBlade for a long time. Though currently working with Turkish VALORANT organization BBL Esports, Mert began his career in League of Legends.

Ten years ago, in 2016, Mert, then manager for Galatasaray Esports in the Turkish League, signed BrokenBlade as the team's toplaner. Their partnership continued to grow when both joined fellow TCL side Royal Bandits in 2018. The two reunited once more at the LEC level with Schalke 04 for the 2021 season, following BrokenBlade's return from TSM.

Now, in 2026, Mert has chosen BrokenBlade to represent the country they both call home.

Scheduled from November 2 to 29 for its first edition in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, the nation-based competition, the largest in esports history, is expected to bring together thousands of players from around a hundred countries, competing across nearly 16 games. Alongside the League of Legends tournament, set to take place from November 21 to 29, there will also be nation-based competitions in VALORANT, Counter-Strike, Rocket League, and Rainbow Six: Siege. For Riot Games’ MOBA title, exactly 32 teams, each representing a nation, will compete on site.

Before that, the participants still need to be decided. The Esports Foundation, which oversees the ENC and the Esports World Cup (two separate events), has decided that 16 teams out of the 32 will qualify directly for the final tournament, based on the results of their representatives in Riot Games’ official competitive circuits. The other participants will have to go through seven regional qualifiers, each offering two spots. The remaining two slots will reportedly be allocated by the ENC in the form of wildcards, likely at the discretion of the event organizers.