Armut Reportedly Joining the LCS For The 2023 Season

Two-time European LoL champion İrfan Berk “Armut” Tükek is reportedly leaving the Old Continent in favor of a career in the LoL Championship Series (LCS). As revealed on Tuesday, November 15, the Turkish top laner has already reached an agreement with Dignitas, with who he’ll play in the 2023 season.

The 2022 League of Legends offseason is developing quite nicely, with a plethora of exciting rumored changes that will shake up the scene. Even though the teams have not confirmed any major roster moves, the rumors from reputable sources have stated that the North American and European LoL competitive landscape will change significantly.

One of the biggest upcoming roster changes involves two-time League of Legends European Championship (LEC) champions MAD Lions, who are reportedly replacing its bottom lane and top lane.

The first reports of MAD Lions replacing their bottom lane popped up weeks back, but most recently, it was also unveiled that MAD Lions are set to part ways with its top laner Armut.

As it stands now, it’s yet to be revealed who will replace the Turkish LoL player, but if the reports are correct, Armut has already found his new home in the LCS, where he’ll play for a prominent North American esports organization, Dignitas.

The 23-year-old will join the LCS for the first time in his career, marking the third league he’ll compete in. Armut began his career in the Turkish TCL and has spent the last two years in the LEC with MAD Lions.

Armut started his esports career in February 2015 as a mid laner for BIG Plays Incorporated, but he shortly after switched to top lane for NumberOne Esports, before joining HWA Gaming in June 2017.

With HWA Gaming, Armut played his first split in the TPL and helped the team win TPL 2017 Summer and TPL 2017 Summer Playoffs. In 2018, Armut debuted in the TCL but struggled to achieve much, as his squad placed seventh with an 11-17 record.

Things haven’t improved by the end of the year, as HWA failed to leave a mark in the TCL 2018 Summer and crashed out of the playoffs in fifth-sixth place. For the 2019 season, Armut joined Royal Youth, with who he claimed bronze in TCL 2019 Winter Playoffs and gold medal in the Summer Playoffs, qualifying for the 2019 LoL Worlds.

After a successful season with Royal Youth, Armut joined the region’s top team SuperMassive Esports, with who he won the TCL 2020 Summer Playoffs and again reached the World Championship. And even though the Turkish squad failed to leave a mark on the international stage, Armut’s performances weren’t unnoticed.

Having proven his worth, Armut got offered a spot in MAD Lions in the LEC for the 2021 season, marking a huge stepping stone in his career. Moreover, in his first year in the LEC, Armut helped MAD Lions win the LEC 2021 Spring Playoffs, earning the European organization its first LEC title.

By the end of the year, Armut also helped MAD Lions reach the semifinals of the Mid-Season Invitational and claim another LEC title in the summer. However, despite the team’s incredible performances in 2021, MAD Lions failed to deliver in 2022, finishing the spring and summer splits in seventh and fourth place, respectively.

Following a mildly disappointing run through the 2022 season, culminating with a 17th-18th place finish at the LoL Worlds 2022, the MAD Lions are looking to overhaul its LoL division. As reported, the European esports team will replace its entire bottom lane and top lane, keeping jungler Javier “Elyoya” Prades Batallaand mid laner Yasin “Nisqy” Dinçer.

While support Norman “Kaiser” Kaiser will reportedly join Team Vitality for the 2023 season, Armut is supposedly joining Dignitas in the LCS, where he’ll replace top laner Lee “Hoon” Jang-hoon.

As it stands now, it’s unclear whether Dignitas will look to make further roster changes; the North American team still needs to find a mid laner to replace Ersin “Blue” Goren, who left the team on Monday, November 14.

By joining Dignitas, Armut will play in the LCS for the first time in his career, where he’ll have a chance to re-launch his esports career following a disappointing 2022 season.