Jungler Can "Closer" Çelik has reached a verbal agreement with Karmine Corp to compete in the LEC 2024 Summer Season sources tell Sheep Esports on Monday. This move will mark the organization’s first roster change of the off-season, though it is likely not the last.

In the past, the Turkish jungler was best known for his four-year tenure in North America's League Championship Series (LCS). Having competed with Golden Guardians and 100 Thieves, Closer achieved great performances in the league, attending Worlds twice and winning a championship in 2021.

A Potential Roadblock?

While Closer and his potential new team have already agreed to join forces, the move could still potentially encounter issues, in the unlikely case of a visa denial for the Turkish jungler. In order to compete as an esports athlete in Berlin, the player will be required to obtain a valid visa. Though a different story, Team Vitality recently went through similar troubles during which James "Mac" MacCormack was unable to step onto the LEC stage to coach his team due to not having obtained a visa in time for the winter split.

Fortunately, sources close to the team indicate that the organization currently expects to obtain Closer’s visa in time for the summer season. In past years, teams within the LEC have often shaped their off-seasons around such criteria. Since COVID, acquiring visas for players from Turkey has been especially difficult.

Rebuilding Around a New Jungler

From the very start of this off-season, Karmine Corp’s priorities have been clear: Promote Linas "Lyncas" Nauncikas, or fall back onto Can "Closer" Çelik.

Unfortunately, the team has now lost out on its first choice, with Lyncas joining Team Vitality in the LEC, as reported by Sheep Esports. Nevertheless, the team has succeeded in reaching an agreement with a new veteran player, who is expected to bring strong leadership and individual skills to the roster.

Sources indicate that Karmine Corp began its tryouts yesterday, on April 15th. Before that, the team had given Lyncas a certain time window to consider its offer to join the team in the LEC. With the Lithuanian jungler declining the team’s offer, the team then decided to conclude a deal with its second option.

Following this move, the future of Zhou "Bo" Yang-Bo is currently uncertain. Recent news indicates that the Chinese jungler is now set to be benched for the foreseeable future, but unfortunately, we cannot confirm if he will attempt to join a new team at this time.

An Uncertain Fate

As confirmed through streams by Karmine Corp’s owner Kameto, the team is leaving no stone unturned this off-season. Following difficult back-to-back 10th-place finishes in the LEC, the team has decided to re-evaluate every position on its roster ahead of the summer split, aiming for better results. However, it's important to remind readers that while the team is exploring options for every position, not all members of its winter-spring roster will necessarily be benched.

At this time, Sheep Esports can only confirm a change in the jungle position for the team, although there is a decent likelihood that other changes will take place. As previously stated, the French organization began its trials this week and is currently practicing with several potential players. Closer was not part of those tryouts.

Presenting a complicated situation for Karmine Corp, the team’s rookie bot laner Caliste "Caliste" Henry-Hennebert remains unable to join the main team, as new rules enacted this year disallow players under the age of 18 to compete in the LEC. Consequently, it is unlikely that the team will make this change to its AD Carry position for the summer season.