One of the best players in the history of European League of Legends, Konstantinos-Napoleon “Forgiven” Tzortziou announced his intent to rejoin the competitive scene after completing his mandatory service in the Greek military yesterday. And while there are plenty of teams across the world who would welcome him with open arms, below you’ll find five seriously interesting franchises for the all-time great to wind up with.

Origen – Perhaps the most intriguing fit for Forgiven in terms of competitiveness might just be Origen. The redeemed organization is participating in its first season (ironically enough) since Forgiven’s first tenure in the competitive scene. This time around, however, the two entities could certainly unite rather than facing off as competitors.

The organization is packed to the brim with talent as the roster has secured a top 4 spot in the league with a shot at the spring title still within reach. And while Patrik “Patrik” Jiru has been more than serviceable at the position, handing the reins to one of the greatest bottom laners in European history would certainly be an upgrade. Additionally, to see Forgiven paired up alongside Alfonso “Mithy” Rodriguez would be nothing short of a landmark moment in European League of Legends history. If Forgiven were to end up at OG, we could see the formation of yet another European titan.

Rogue – Forgiven heading to Rogue would almost be too perfect. It’s quite possible that his signing would signal a rebuild that would have started and ended with just one player – with plenty of room to grow from there. The organization looked downright abysmal during its first LEC spring split, losing 16 of its 18 games, leaving the door open for a myriad of roster changes. An organization as storied and planted in esports lore as Rogue needs some sort of superstar when it comes to League and Forgiven could be that spark. After all, it’s most recognizable star last split was arguably the team’s jungler Mateusz “Kikis” Szkudlarek. With that in mind, it’s clear that the franchise has plenty of room for star power – making Forgiven an extremely enticing option.

Additionally, Rogue holds the contract of Forgiven’s former lane partner from his days at H2K, Oskar “Vander” Bogdan. And while the veteran support player currently doesn’t own a spot on the LEC roster, perhaps a reunion of the bottom lane that took H2K to the semifinals of the 2016 World Championship could be enough to spark Rogue’s redemption tour.

100 Thieves – In a similar vein to Rogue, 100 Thieves is in desperate need of a rebuild, perhaps even a recharge. The current iteration of the 100T roster is in complete shambles and the on-stage product is nothing close to what the organization was pumping out just a year ago. The offseason acquisition of Bae “Bang” Jun-sik sparked plenty of hope and inspiration for a 100 Thieves team that desperately needed to move on from a rocky final stage of 2018. The organization, unfortunately, couldn’t shake the turmoil and disappointment that plagued it throughout the course of the 2018 World Championship, bringing the franchise to a seriously disappointing last-place finish and a 4-14 record this spring.

This underperformance has put a massive dent in the franchise’s plans as nearly every player on the squad has looked distant of their potential, with the Thieves’ big-time bottom laner coming up ridiculously short of expectations. Perhaps a trade involving Bang could be in the works with a Forgiven signing looming on the horizon, but it seems like a serious long-shot backed by mere speculation.

Additionally, it’s important to note that the presence of former head coach Neil “Prolly” Hammad and former teammate Sangwook “Ryu” Yoo might be enough to entice Forgiven to signing with the Thieves, but there’s plenty of other options out there if he’s looking for an H2K reunion – plenty with lots less red tape.

SK Gaming – SK presents the classic situation involving a middle of the pack team in desperate need of one final piece to help them get over the hump. Forgiven might just be that missing link that delivers SK to the upper echelons of the LEC. The team finished 6th this past split, highlighted by a playoff bouncing at the hands of Splyce just last week.

While the roster is solid, it’s missing a touch of flair and a definitive superstar. Forgiven could be the missing ingredient that takes SK to a new level of competition, perhaps even bringing the team into the same class as G2 and Origen all the way at the top of the league. For a franchise that has such a historic name in European League of Legends, a historic player in Forgiven would give the team an element of excitement and intrigue that it’s been missing desperately.

Counter Logic Gaming – To be totally clear, the chances of Forgiven heading to CLG are quite slim (nowhere near as slim as the 100T option), but the option is definitely still on the table. Actually, let’s just get it out of the way and say that Forgiven heading anywhere outside of Europe is pretty unlikely. However, if he was going to go to any team that isn’t part of the LEC, CLG might just be the best bet.

The organization, much like the aforementioned SK, is in need of a big time piece to put it over the hump and get back to competing at the top of the LCS. For far too long, CLG has looked like a shade of its former self. The franchise hasn’t quite recovered from the losses that it suffered after the 2017 season, as the departures of Yiliang “Doublelift” Peng, Jake “Xmithie” Puchero, Zaqueri “Aphromoo” Black and countless other members of the franchise’s revolving door have left the organization in a state of constant turmoil. The team’s current bottom laner, Trevor “Stixxay” Hayes, has looked solid at some points, while proving to be an unreliable option at the position at many others.

If the team is looking to upgrade its bottom lane situation while snagging a consistent, proven talent off the market, grabbing Forgiven is the move. It makes a ton of sense for CLG to pursue Forgiven. However, the question rises: does it make sense for Forgiven to pursue CLG?

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