The 2020 League of Legends season is just starting, which means professional leagues around the world are fast approaching. In roughly two weeks, the League of Legends European Championship (LEC) will kick off with its first matches of the year. While the Splyce re-brand to MAD Lions is the only new organizational face, there are plenty of new players you can expect to see on stage for the first time this year. There are 15 rookies and pseudo-rookies getting their first starting spot in a major region at the beginning of the season.

“Rookies are players who have played less than three games in a major region,” according to the LEC’s rules. However, there are several newer players who are getting their first start from the beginning of the season that are rookies in a more colloquial sense. Therefore, this list includes players that would be eligible for Rookie of the Split, and it includes players that have played half a split or less in a major league, but would not be eligible for Rookie of the Split.

True Rookies

Orome – MAD Lions – Top

Orome is promoting to the MAD Lions’ (previously Splyce) starting roster as top laner. His name might look familiar to LEC fans, because he filled in for Vizicsacsi for one game in Spring 2019. Otherwise, he played for Splyce Vipers and MAD Lions during 2019, including winning Spain’s SuperLiga Orange in Spring Split.

Shadow – MAD Lions – Jungle

MAD Lions brings Shadow onto the starting lineup as their jungler for 2020. Last year, Shadow played for mousesports in Germany’s ESL Meisterschaft. From there, mousesports qualified for EU Masters Summer, where Shadow helped them finish third-fourth overall.

Carzzy – MAD Lions – Bottom

Carzzy played for BIG (Berlin International Gaming) last year, the winners of EU Masters Summer. He finished individually stood out as MVP of the event. BIG also won ESL Meisterschaft Winter with Carzzy in bottom lane. He will be one of the most important rookies to watch in 2020.

Gistick – MAD Lions – Support

Gistick played alongside Shadow on mousesports last year, and had been with the organization since July 2018. During his time as support with mouz, they finished top four every split of ESL Meisterschaft, including a first place victory in Spring 2019. Gistick was also part of the roster that finished third-fourth at EU Masters Summer 2019.

Razork – Misfits Gaming – Jungle

Razork was the jungler for Giants Gaming in Spain’s SuperLiga Orange for the past two years. During his tenure there, Giants regularly placed top four. In Summer 2019, Razork and crew won the domestic league, which qualified Giants to EU Masters. They took the tournament all the way to second place, where Razork tied for second in MVP voting. He joins Misfits Gaming for 2020.

Ronaldooo – Misfits Gaming – Mid

Ronaldooo joins Misfits Gaming while Febiven is still contracted, so it is unclear who will be the starter at Week One. He played support for Fnatic Rising last year, so this looks like a role swap. Fnatic’s B-team finished first in the UK League Championship in Summer 2019, then went on to finish third-fourth at EU Masters. If Ronaldooo plays three or more games this split, then he will be in the running for the Rookie of the Split award.

Denyk – Misfits Gaming – Support

Denyk most recently played for Giants Gaming with Razork, so hopefully there is some pre-existing synergy there for Misfits in 2020. He also played with Kirei on Millenium in 2018. Denyk has been in the European League scene since 2014, but has never broken into the Challenger Series or LCS until this year.

Skeanz – Team Vitality – Jungle

Skeanz was actually the jungler for Vitality.Bee last year, Team Vitality’s La Ligue Française team. They made it all the way to the Summer Finals, before losing 3-0 to LDLC. From there, Vitality.Bee narrowly missed the EU Masters Main Event. Maybe a rookie jungler like Skeanz will be better for Team Vitality, as they have had inconsistencies in the position over their entire time in the LEC/EU LCS.

Milica – Team Vitality – Mid

Milica will be a rookie to watch in 2020. He has bounced around several domestic leagues, and attempted to qualify into the Challenger Series a few times. In 2018 Milica played for KlikTech and placed fifth-eighth at EU Masters Spring. He then joined Bursaspor Esports in the TCL, where they finished fifth-sixth in Summer Split. Milica played for Vodafone Giants in the LVP with fellow rookies Razork and Denyk. They won Summer Split, followed by a runner-up finish at EU Masters.

Comp – Team Vitality – Bot

Comp has been on LDLC competing in amateur tournaments and the domestic LFL league for two years now. Prior to that he played for Greek Regenesis in the League Greek Championship. Last year, LDLC won both Spring and Summer Splits, ultimately leading to a fifth-eighth place finish at EU Masters in both splits. Fellow teammates Eika and Dan Dan will also be starting on major league rosters in 2020.

Destiny – Origen – Support

While not necessarily a new talent, Destiny will technically be a rookie in the LEC in 2020. He has been playing in Australia’s OPL for several years, including three first place finishes and two second place finishes. Destiny played Worlds and MSI 2017 with Direwolves and Worlds 2019 with MAMMOTH. Destiny joins Upset in the bottom lane as an import for Origen, so this is a major opportunity for him.

LIMIT – SK Gaming – Support

LIMIT joins SK Gaming, following two years of regional league experience. He most recently played for Ad Hoc Gaming in ESL Meisterschaft Winter, where they placed second. Prior to that, LIMIT played for ASUS ROG ELITE in the Esports Balkan League. They won domestically in 2018, and went on to place third-fourth in EU Masters that summer.

Pseudo-Rookies

Dan Dan – Misfits Gaming – Top

Dan Dan is not technically a rookie, because he played five weeks of the LEC regular season last split. Misfits decided to keep him as the starter, so 2020 Spring Split will be Dan Dan’s first shot starting from week one. Prior to playing on Misfits, Dan Dan played for LDLC in the LFL, ThunderX3 Baskonia in the LVP, and even played for Origen while they were in the Challenger Series in 2017.

Bvoy – Misfits Gaming – Bottom

The only Eastern import of the 2020 LEC “rookie” class, Bvoy has a background in China’s LSPL and played the back half of the LLA Summer Split 2019 for Furious Gaming. During Spring 2019, Bvoy subbed in a few games for Imp on JD Gaming in the LPL, so he is not eligible for Rookie of the Split. Playing for Misfits in 2020 will be his first experience starting in a major league.

Jenax – SK Gaming – Mid

SK Gaming’s mid laner has been playing within ESL Meisterschaft for roughly four years, before joining their LEC roster in Summer Split 2019. Jenax played for their Academy team, SK Prime, in Spring Split, and BIG and mousesports in 2018. He actually started over Pirean for the last three weeks of the LEC regular season last year, so he is not eligible for Rookie of the Split. 2020 will be his first chance as a starter from day one.

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