There might be snow on the floor in Berlin, but the action is only heating up on the Summoner’s Rift for the 2023 LEC Winter Split. Some of the best European players are taking the stage as the league debuts a new format for the new year, including three splits and a new postseason format.
Many teams have also cleared their plates through this past free agency period, picking up multiple players in the hopes of newfound success in this revamped landscape. In the shuffle, a group of young stars have been signed and will be making their debut in the LEC this year.
The European rookie class is shaping up to be as competitive as ever, with these prospects looking to prove themselves to the world as the next stars of the region. Here are all the LEC players eligible to win the Rookie of the Split award for the 2023 Winter Season.
All LEC players classified as rookies
In the LEC, there are a few different rules that define a rookie. For example, a player cannot be classified as a rookie if they’ve played 50 percent or more of a regular season split in a Worlds-qualifying league, not including the current season.
Players are also disqualified if they’ve played in more than two splits in a Worlds-qualified league before the current season, or if they’ve played in more than two games at the Mid-Season Invitational or World Championship. If a player is playing in the LEC for the first time and doesn’t break any of the previously mentioned rules, they are considered a rookie.
Here are all eligible players for this season’s Rookie of the Split award:
- Astralis’ Doğukan “113” Balcı (Jungler)
- Team BDS’ Théo “Sheo” Borile (Jungler)
- G2 Esports’ Martin “Yike” Sundelin (Jungler)
- MAD Lions’ Kim “Chasy” Dong-hyeon (Top)
- SK Gaming’s Thomas “Exakick” Foucou (ADC)
- Team Heretics’ Jakob “Jackspektra” Gullvag Kepple (ADC)
- Team Vitality’s Zhou “Bo” Yang-Bo (Jungler)
- Team Vitality’s Kyeong “Photon” Gyu-tae (Top)
Catch all of these young stars in action throughout the 2023 LEC Winter Split, as the league takes place from Saturday to Monday from 11am CT to 3pm CT.
