NLC organization The Ruddy Sack is going through a series of changes. On Monday, it was announced on X that the team would put a halt to its partnership with esports personalities Christian "IWDominate" Rivera and Jakob "YamatoCannon" Mebdi.

However, sources familiar with the situation have also told us that Ruddy have finalized their roster for the upcoming Summer Split. Unlike their previous two iterations, the new lineup won't feature professional players. Instead, Ruddy’s co-owner Jake "DonJake" Morley will be stepping in as the team's jungler. At the time of writing, DonJake is ranked Emerald 1 in SoloQ.

The rest of the expected lineup includes players known as Hypa, Manaflowbando, Gtracks, and Hydra—all currently Master-ranked in solo queue. Rather than pushing for competitive results, the roster feels more like an effort to retain Ruddy’s NLC slot while waiting to see how the league evolves heading into 2026.

Not a sustainable model for all

With the successful rise of Los Ratones—a popular team led by Marc "Caedrel" Lamont—many orgs have jumped on the opportunity to gain visibility in the NLC by fielding mixed rosters of streamers and personalities. In an NLC ecosystem that was declining before Los Ratones arrival, teams had very little budget to work with. As a result, many offered exposure instead of actual salaries—hoping it would be enough to attract talent.

But while this visibility-driven model works for Los Ratones, it's been economically unsustainable for many. Players who competed in the NLC during Winter and Spring often failed to generate enough stream revenue to justify staying in the league. Likewise, orgs themselves have struggled to monetize. Ruddy is no exception.

The future of the NLC

As DonJake mentioned in his announcement, the future of Ruddy in its Winter and Spring form is uncertain, and it will largely depend on how the league evolves—especially whether Los Ratones stick around. While ERLs are typically considered developmental leagues, the NLC hasn’t been able to support that model. With little to no compensation for players, it’s simply not feasible to lock talents into long-term contracts or sell them to LEC teams.

Other ERLs like the LFL and Superliga don’t rely as much on personalities to drive viewership. Their teams pay player salaries and attract enough natural interest to be sustainable—for now. But even those leagues are facing their own challenges, as most aren't profitable, and viewership numbers drop.

The Ruddy Sack's Summer Split roster*:

*Ruddy's roster is still pending Riot Games' approval

For more roster changes, check out our Transfers Hub. You can also stay updated with the latest leaks and official roster changes with our Offseason Tracker.