After their worst-ever TCL result in the spring, NASR change their five players for the summer segment
Toplaner Bulut "Gakgos" Ibrahim Samet , jungler Kim "Yohan" Yo-han , midlaner Yusuf Emir "Berkan" Türkden , ad carry Mahmut "Nawa" Zitto and support Lee "Blessing" Jang-won have reached a verbal agreement with NASR eSports in TCL (Turkey) who wanted to build a low budget roster, according to sources at Sheep Esports. The arrival of a new quintet had been expected since the club announced on X on 17 April that it was parting ways by "mutual agreement" with the two South Korean members of its roster, Jonghwi "Whistle" Jo and Seung-min "Patch" Han. NASR had then indicated on 13 May the end of the adventure, again by mutual agreement, with its three other players: Sergen "Scorth" Eke, Tayfun "Typhoon" Gümüş and Asım Cihat "fabFabulous" Karakaya.
A bet on the future
The previous roster had not worked at all and NASR had put in the worst performance in their history at the TCL winter split, missing out on play-off qualification for the first time. The team finished 7th and penultimate in the first split of the year. However, there are few certainties with this new roster, which is far from experienced and looks more like a long-term gamble. Gagkos is just 16 years old and has only had one split, in the Elite Series (Belgium) in the spring with mCon Esports.
Nawa, who went through the NASR Academy in 2022, is only two years older than his toplaner and will have just discovered the TCL. Berkan made an appearance in Turkey's top flight in the winter of 2021, but his disastrous record of 0 wins and 18 defeats with Team AURORA saw him finish in last place. After more than two years without playing, the midlaner's fortunes did not improve much when he returned in the spring of 2024. Berkan finished seventh in the LIT (Italy) with EKO Academy.
The Korean experience
The two new South Korean players - Yohan and Blessing - are therefore like veterans. Especially the jungler who, at 24, already has some fine achievements to his name. Yohan finished third in the LCK at the 2021 spring split with Hanwha Life Esports. It was there that he rubbed shoulders with some of the world's League of Legends superstars, including Jeong "Chovy" Ji-hoon and Kim "Deft" Hyuk-kyu.
Yohan then came to Europe to join the ERL circuit in the NLC (Northern League). He won the NLC with Riddle Esports in the spring of 2023 and, after an unsuccessful stint in the Prime League (Germany), returned in the spring of 2024 with Lionscreed. Blessing, on the other hand, will be discovering Europe. The support had been playing in South Korea's second and third divisions (LCK CL and LCK AS) since 2020. However, he did not play in the spring split.
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Header Photo Credit : Liquipedia