LEC 2026 - SK Gaming: Old leaders, still wonders? (2/10)

A new year begins for SK Gaming, bringing with it a fresh identity and renewed ambitions. After a turbulent season last year, one of Europe’s oldest League of Legends organizations is turning the page, aiming to reclaim a place among the top teams and leave behind the difficulties of the previous campaign.

Following a disastrous start and multiple roster changes throughout the year, SK Gaming failed to qualify for playoffs even once across three splits. Faced with various issues, both within the roster and in its working structure, significant changes were deemed necessary to launch a coherent new project.

Only two figures survived the offseason overhaul within the organization: jungler Duncan "Skeanz" Marquet and Head Coach David "OWN3R" Rodriguez de la Torre. The latter retained the trust of the organization, which granted him full authority to construct the team’s new project. He agreed to speak with Sheep Esports to explain the decisions made during the offseason.

From the outset, the Spanish coach confirmed his commitment to Skeanz. "He was the most consistent player from our team last split, he was our MVP. My main feeling was that if we wanted to create something from zero, the best player to do it with was Skeanz. I think he's just perfect in terms of work ethic and he'd be able to adapt to everything.” Returning to the LEC for the second time in his career, the French jungler delivered convincing performances and earned enough confidence for the team to extend that trust for another year.

To strengthen the team’s working structure, OWN3R also surrounded himself with two assistant coaches, Simon "Baguette" Cordonnier and Christopher "Duffman" Duff. This represents valuable support for OWN3R, who had been working alone for the previous two splits. "It was awful to be honest, and it was really hard to fit in draft, help players to improve and everything,” he admitted. Baguette now contributes his expertise in drafting, while Duffman works alongside OWN3R on gameplay development within the team.

During an offseason in which SK Gaming intended to be highly active, the organization was initially preparing to sign a new botlane, including Park "Lospa" Joon-hyeong. However, just as this deal was nearing completion, an unexpected opportunity emerged when Fnatic contacted SK to let them know about the availability of Mihael "Mikyx" Mehle. "I called Mikyx and he explained to me all the things he wanted to do next year," OWN3R explains, who did not hesitate to place his trust in him. "It was perfect because I always wanted to work with a player like Mikyx. I just think he had a bad year, but sometimes that happens."

The legendary European support also expressed his desire to play alongside two specific teammates, the first being midlaner Adam "LIDER" Ilyasov. OWN3R insists that this decision stemmed after he "fell in love" with the player’s profile. "Many people don't know, but last year in summer split, we were playing some scrims with LIDER because our midlaner was sick. He’s a player who, if there is a mistake or a problem, he’s not going to leave it there. That’s why I love him. He also wanted to play with Skeanz." Despite LIDER’s previous struggles in the LEC, his coach remains convinced that as long as mutual trust exists between him and his teammates, he will be able to display his full potential.

The second wish from Mikyx was to play with Martin "Wunder" Hansen, his former toplaner in G2 Esports. For some fans, the return of Wunder to competition appeared risky, perhaps even misguided while the team was also in talks with Volodymyr "Maynter" Sorokin and Panagiotis "Empyros" Tantis. "I had many doubts about him if I’m being honest, and I told him that too," OWN3R admits. However, after several interviews and in-depth discussions about the game with the Danish toplaner, his opinion changed rapidly. "I realised we were really similar as a coach and a player. I already interviewed many other players from the LEC and from my perspective, Wunder is one of the smartest one. That's how I found I really wanted this guy.”

The final piece of the puzzle is a rookie who, after repeatedly proving himself in the LFL, finally makes the jump to the LEC. Preferred over Thomas "3XA" Foucou, AD Carry Josip "Jopa" Čančar distinguished himself through his "work ethic and personality," which particularly impressed his coach. The latter also praises the ability he showed during the tryouts to improve a lot in a short period. Jopa thus completes a roster that blends experience with youth, while fielding players known for their creativity in gameplay.

OWN3R even predicts that draft creativity will be the team’s greatest strength. "I think all the drafts are going to be wild in a good way, because what we are lacking nowadays in the LEC is inventing new things, creating new stuff, and surprising other teams. I think that’s something our team is going to have. We are working a lot around that.”

Another major change is that SK Gaming has decided the team will train exclusively from its facilities in Cologne starting in the Spring Split. Despite the distance from Berlin, OWN3R describes these headquarters as "amazing" and "the best ones in the LEC." He also explains that the team may conduct reviews during the journey from Berlin back to Cologne to remain efficient while maintaining strong working conditions. "I don't think the travel is going to be a problem at all. We already said to every players before signing with us that this will be the plan."

Altogether, these elements contribute to a sense of strong confidence within the team, and OWN3R makes no effort to hide his ambitions. "I think we are for sure up there to fight for the title. And the minimum for us during the year, for me at least, is going to be Worlds.” The organization’s last appearance at the most prestigious international event dates back to 2014, but with two former Worlds finalists now in its ranks, the team appears more determined than ever to reach that goal — and potentially even surpass it. "The players that we have are really hungry to prove themselves, to prove many people wrong about them. I don’t think we’ll be happy even with only Worlds. I think we are going for more.”

For more roster changes, check out our Transfers Hub and Offseason Live Tracker.

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