The LEC Winter Season is at its halfway point with two teams already eliminated – Rogue and SK Gaming will have to sit out the playoffs. But on Saturday, the highest level European League of Legends tournament is back in action with all the best squads battling it out for the one spot in the First Stand, the first big international event of 2025.
The LEC’s power rankings have changed a lot since last year. While squads like G2 Esports and Fnatic are still top dogs, some newer organizations with younger players are coming up in strength. This can be attributed to their rookie players – at least in part. But who is the best newcomer to the LEC?
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Best Rookies of the LEC Winter Split
1. Caliste
The best rookie of the Winter Regular Split is Caliste “Caliste” Henry-Hennebert, the AD carry of Karmine Corp. The young player was set to join the LEC team back in 2024 when KC bought a spot in the league, but the rules didn’t make that possible, as a player must be 18 years old to play in the LEC. However, Caliste became an adult at the end of last Summer, and soon enough, he found himself on the botlane of the French team.
And the young prospect delivered, becoming the BEST rookie of the Winter Split. He garnered 3 Player of the Game awards, tied with greats like Rasmus “Caps” Borregaard Winther and Zdravets “Hylissang” Iliev Galabov, he had a perfect KDA during the first round of the winter split, he was featured and analyzed for his plays with champions like Draven and Kalista, and only the veteran star Elias “Upset” Lipp has more impact than him. Caliste was made for the LEC, and we can’t wait to see what he can do if he and his team make it to the international stage.
2. SkewMond
While Rudy “SkewMond” Semaan had a rough start, he came into his own by the time the LEC Winter Regular Split ended. If you look at his KDA’s on stats sites such as Games of Legends, you can see his performance ramp up slowly, culminating in a 11/1/6 stomp with Wukong by the last round before the break.
While SkewMond didn’t really seem to fit the playstyle of G2 Esports and seemed like he was lagging behind a bit, he caught up to speed fairly quickly. It also looked like that he wasn’t getting along with his comrades, but when he gave an interview after one of their victories, all worries seemed to have dissipated. SkewMond is becoming a top 3 jungler, just a bit slower than it was expected a member of G2.
3. Czajek
While Caliste is by far the best rookie if you look at the Player of the Game awards (and numerous other stats), Mateusz “Czajek” Czajka also managed to score an MVP. Not only that, but he is also exceptional if you look at his stats, which are important for a midlaner like CS/minute and KDA, while also having a high number of solo kills.
While Team Vitality has some issues with consistency, their squad has potential and Czajek has a big part in that. He can work together with Hyli and Linas “Lyncas” Nauncikas very well, and he’s a capable player when he’s solo as well.
4. Lot
Eren “Lot” Yildiz is one of those players that you don’t really notice until it’s too late. He’s a standard weakside toplaner with picks like K’Sante, Rumble and Jax – but he’s really efficient with them. He’s in the middle of the pack in almost all stats except solo kills, as when he sees a chance, he takes it.
Lot is a player that brings a lot (pun intented) of stability to GIANTX. While he’s not the main carry, he doesn’t have to be as Adam “Jackies” Jerabek and Oh “Noah” Hyeon-taek got those angles covered. As long a he can keep the enemy laner in check and join teamfights he is doing more than enough – and as long as he’s not playing Jayce, he can do those things on a similar level as the players of more decorated teams.
+1. Jojopyun
We can’t really call Joseph “Jojopyun” Joon-pyun a rookie, as he has spent three years playing in the LTA, then known as the LCS as the midlaner of Evil Geniuses and Cloud9. Still, he is a new player in the LEC, and Movistar KOI’s signing has proved to be a great move.
Outside of Jojo making the league spicier with his trash-talk imported straight from overseas, he did up the competition in the LEC. Movistar KOI has finished the Winter Regular Split tied with G2 Esports and Karmine Corp, with only Fnatic having a better record than them. What’s interesting is that Jojopyun dies a lot and doesn’t have as good of a stats page as other midlaners, but he still finds leads and makes plays for his teammates to follow up on. He is a midlaner akin to Caps who might not be the cleanest but shows up where it matters.
And it will matter come Saturday as the LEC returns with the Winter Playoffs. There is only one EMEA spot for First Stand, so there can be only one left standing after the first Fearless Draft segment of the biggest League of Legends tournament in Europe!
