NAVI to Rebuild League of Legends Roster Around Rhilech for 2027

Esports organization Natus Vincere is planning a massive overhaul of its League of Legends roster ahead of the 2027 season. According to Sheep Esports, the club intends to build an ambitious team around Turkish jungler Enes "Rhilech" Uçan, who will remain the cornerstone of the project.

Current Roster Status and Contracts

Following their first full year in the LEC, NAVI management is exploring replacement options across all four other positions. Despite some players having active contracts, everyone has been allowed to explore offers from other teams, and as of now, none of them are the club's first choice for the upcoming season:

• Volodymyr "Maynter" Sorokin (Top) — contract expiring, becomes a free agent in November 2026.
• Lee "SamD" Jae-hoon (ADC) — contract expiring, becomes a free agent in November 2026.
• Yun "Poby" Sung-won (Mid) — contract runs until the end of 2027.
• Polat Furkan "Parus" Çiçek (Support) — contract runs until the end of 2027.

Transfer Market Activity

NAVI are targeting players from Europe, North America, and South Korea. The organization has allocated a solid budget by LEC standards, but will not be able to financially compete with top LCK and LPL clubs, making the signing of top-tier Korean stars unlikely.

The club has already held initial negotiations for the ADC position: NAVI attempted to sign Kim "Deft" Hyuk-kyu, but he chose Nongshim RedForce. Korean prospect Nam "Diable" Dae-geun was also considered, but he opted for another team. No new players have been signed yet.

The Role of Rhilech and the Coaching Staff

Rhilech, who won the 2026 LEC Rookie of the Year title, is under contract until the end of 2027. NAVI signed the player ahead of the 2025 Summer Split to secure his visa in advance and block his transfer to competitors. After spending one split on the bench, he joined the starting lineup in 2026.

Head coach Vasilis "TheRock" Voltis will retain his position for the 2027 season and is directly involved in building the new roster. Additionally, the club plans to expand the coaching staff with new assistants.

2026 Season Results

Following their first full season in the LEC, the team featuring ERL players established itself as a consistent playoff contender. A 4th-place finish in the Summer Split earned NAVI a spot at the Demacia Cup Global Invitational — the first international tournament in the history of the organization's LoL division, where the team placed 9th–10th.

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