The Team Heretics Roster is all but confirmed, with a familiar team reuniting with some new prospects.
Even though the 2023 League of Legends World Championship is still running, many organizations have started to revamp their roster for the 2024 season – including the LCS and the LEC. The boys are back in town, as former teammates Martin “Wunder” Nordahl Hansen, Luka “Perkz” Perkovic and Marcin “Jankos” Jankowski will reunite under the aegis of the Spanish organization. The team also signed German support Norman “Kaiser” from Team Vitality, who will play alongside Victor “Flakked” Lirola on the botlane!
Sources: Perkz 🇭🇷 has reached a verbal agreement with Team Heretics 🇪🇸 LEC 🇪🇺.
The player is set to re-unite with Wunder 🇩🇰 for the first time since 2020.
Read on @Sheep_Esports ⬇️https://t.co/aYOfcpm79O pic.twitter.com/7v6loS6IH9
— Alejandro Gomis (@anonimotum) November 8, 2023
Team Heretics Roster changes
The Unbenched Toplaner
Wunder last played for Fnatic in the 2023 LEC Winter split as their starting toplaner but was benched in favour of Oscar “Oscarinin” Munoz Jiménez. This was due to Fnatic finishing 9th with Wunder having not-so-stellar performances on the team, which is why an up-and-coming player was subbed in. Even though Oscar needed some time to adjust, he eventually became a stellar toplaner.
After Wunder spent 2 seasons in the shadows, Fnatic asked for his aid once again, as Oscarinin had a hand injury and couldn’t finish the season with his team. This gave Wunder a chance to prove himself again, and he delivered, helping Fnatic reach the last match of the LEC Season Finals. They didn’t beat G2, but Wunder got the interest of Team Heretics, which is a trophy on it’s own. Wunder is currently not signed to Fnatic as his temporary substitute status ended on the 27th of September, so he’s free to take for the Spanish org!
The GOAT of the West
Joining his old teammates is (supposedly) Perkz, who is hailed as one of the best players that the West ever produced. The Croatian midlaner and ADC played for G2 Esports for most of his career, with a brief period in the LCS as Cloud9’s midlaner. The returned to the EMEA region at the end of the 2021 season to play for Team Vitality, but neither the 2022, nor the 2023 superteam built around him worked out. Even though Perkz and VIT placed 1st in the LEC 2023 Winter Regular Season, they became the worst performing team in the league by the end of the Summer Split, ending the last third of the LEC at 10th place with a scoreline of 1-8.
Even though Perkz still had some great games this year, he was as underwhelming as the rest of Team Vitality, but Team Heretics could give him a second chance. Maybe the mid-jungle duo that got G2 Esports to the top 4 of the 2018 Worlds will resurrect Perkz’s edge as well.
The Return of the Kaiser
Another player that will join the Heretics after playing for Team Vitality, Kaiser also needs to prove himself. The German support is most known for his time spent with MAD Lions with whom he became a 2-time LEC champion back in 2021, while also making it to the quarterfinals of that year’s Worlds. He was also a part of the legendary “3-3 group” during that Worlds, where MAD Lions beat LNG in a 4-way tie to get out of groups alongside Gen.G.
Kaiser has left MAD before the start of this season to play for Vitality but wasn’t as successful as the superteam suggested. Many fans thought that he was only carried by Carzzy back in MAD Lions, as he didn’t really find his footing next to either Neon or Upset. Nevertheless, Kaiser was one of the best supports in the league a few seasons ago, and with Flakked, he could become on again.
LET’S FUCKIN GOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
🇩🇰 WUNDER
🇵🇱 JANKOS
🇲🇫 VETHEO
🇪🇦 FLAKKED
🇩🇪 KAISER
LET THEM COOK!!!
Heretics fans number increased as fuck!!!— Express (@ExpressLOL_) November 7, 2023
If the rumours are true, this could be one of the most competent team in the LEC next year. While all of the players have been benched or kicked from various organizations (mostly G2), they got their second chance with the team. The two remaining players from Team Heretics’ last roster, Jankos and Flakked looked incredible after they joined which means that the Spanish esports team knows how to deal with their players.
Reminiscing of the good old days pic.twitter.com/laZzZshlyZ
— Luka (@Perkz) November 7, 2023
While the players and the organization could be happy, Team Heretics’ previous players – Shunsuke “Evi” Murase, Vincent “Vetheo” Berrié (even though he was rumoured to stay) and Mertai “Mersa” Sari – won’t have teams for next year, as there have been no rumours about them. Keep an eye on ESTNN and the various social media channels for more information about the 2024 LEC Roster moves!
