He is ready to prove himself once more.
Top Laner Milan "Tenacity" Oleksij has reached an agreement with Disguised in the North American Challengers League (NACL), according to Sheep Esports sources. Having initially taken a step back in May, the 20-year-old top laner decided to give professional play another shot in 2024. Once one of North America's most promising prospects, he announced last month his return along with his "thirst and drive to win it all".
An Unfortunate LCS Debut
Making his debut in Spring of 2023, Tenacity entered the LCS with large expectations this year. Painted as one of the region's most promising talents, Tenacity joined 100 Thieves at the start of the year with an insatiable hunger to prove himself.
Unfortunately for the young top laner, despite having a star-studded roster formed around him, the team quickly began showing cracks. Suffering from having "too many cooks", 100 Thieves would decide to move away from playing through its top side and Tenacity would eventually be made to play tanks instead of his usual carry-centric style. Despite a decent start to the year, the team would inevitably falter in the playoffs, ending in a shared 5th place.
While fans of the organization hoped for Tenacity to be given a better shot in the summer split, the team would later announce his replacement through the signing of Kim "Ssumday" Chan-ho. Disappointed, the player would eventually take a step back from competitive play following this move.
Return of the Canadian Prodigy
Having remained active on the North American ranked ladder since his retirement, Tenacity has now decided to return to the NACL, with the hopes of finding his way back to the LCS in a near future. Climbing through the ladder, Tenacity is once more performing to the levels which were displayed towards the start of his career.
By joining Disguised, the top laner has effectively secured himself a spot on one of the projected top three organizations of the developmental circuit. Hoping to impress, he is now on a quest to dominate the challengers league and prove himself as a contender for the coming years.
With Nicholas "Inero" Smith at the helm, the team is poised to make a fulgurant re-entry in 2024. Last year, despite having only competed in one split, Disguised managed to upset the competition and establish itself as one of the top contenders in the NACL, even winning the summer playoffs. With most of its players having now found offers in the LCS, Tenacity hopes to bring Disguised to its second title in the league and find himself a way back into the North American competition.