G2 Esports Keeps Lyncas Agreement to Replace SkewMond After Perkz Exit as 2027 LEC Roster Shakeup Intensifies
The media storm that just decapitated the Samurai coaching staff has not slowed down the organization's behind-the-scenes roster overhaul. One day after the crisis triggered by CEO Alban Dechelotte's immediate termination of Head Coach Perkz, G2 Esports management is sticking firmly to its roadmap for the 2027 LEC season in League of Legends. The verbal agreement reached with Lithuanian jungler Linas "Lyncas" Nauncikas remains locked in to replace French starter Rudy "SkewMond" Semaan, while the future of both the top lane and support positions is now at the center of an intense European bidding war.
Lyncas Jungle Agreement Remains Intact Alongside Strategic Coach Pad
It was the biggest question mark following the sudden exit of Luka "Perkz" Perković: would firing the Croatian head coach save SkewMond's spot in the starting lineup? The answer is a definitive no. Despite being under contract with the Berlin-based powerhouse through the end of 2028 and winning multiple domestic LEC titles during the 2026 campaign, the French jungler is paying the price for the team's disappointing 1-3 elimination in the Worlds 2026 Swiss Stage as well as internal disagreements with the coaching staff over how to play the map.
Even though Perkz was one of the voices pushing for a jungle change prior to his dismissal, G2 Esports upper management has confirmed that the verbal agreement with Team Vitality jungler Linas "Lyncas" Nauncikas remains fully on track for the 2027 season. The move aligns with a broader coaching restructuring that includes bringing in former Team Vitality coach Patrick "Pad" Suckow-Breum as strategic coach. Having worked closely with Lyncas during their time together at Vitality, the Danish tactician is expected to smooth his transition alongside franchise mid laner Rasmus "Caps" Borregaard Winther.
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Bidding War for Labrov as Fnatic and Natus Vincere Circle
While the bot lane carry role remains firmly anchored by French marksman Steven "Hans Sama" Liv, keeping his lane partner has turned into a high-stakes financial tug-of-war. Crowned Finals MVP during G2's 2026 LEC Summer Split triumph in Madrid, Greek support Lampros "Labrov" Papoutsakis sees his current contract expire in mid-November. His standout consistency has made him the most coveted support on the market right as major jungle and roster moves shake up the 2027 European transfer market.
Determined to land a premier playmaker for their 2027 rebuilds, rival LEC franchises Fnatic and Natus Vincere (NAVI) have both entered the race with competitive offers. Facing serious pressure from both organizations, G2 Esports management has pushed back hard over the past few hours, tabling an improved contract extension offer to convince Labrov to stay alongside Hans Sama.
BrokenBlade Explores Options After Five Years While G2 Targets Naak Nako
The final major question mark sits in the top lane. Having joined G2 Esports in late 2021 and served as a vocal leader of the roster for nearly five years, German-Turkish top laner Sergen "BrokenBlade" Çelik is also reaching the end of his contract. With sweeping changes underway across the lineup, the veteran has begun exploring his options on the market for 2027. His championship pedigree has already drawn concrete interest from Movistar KOI and NAVI in the LEC, as well as North American LCS organizations including LYON.
Preparing for the possibility of BrokenBlade's departure, G2 Esports has identified another Team Vitality standout as its primary top lane target: rising Turkish star Kaan "Naak Nako" Okan. Because Naak Nako remains under contract with Vitality through the end of 2027, G2 is reportedly weighing a substantial buyout offer that could ultimately see three key pieces from Vitality's 2026 project wearing the Samurai jersey next year.
My Take
Seeing the verbal agreement with Lyncas survive Perkz's sudden firing answers the biggest question lingering over the LEC since yesterday: moving on from SkewMond was never just the personal whim of a now-dismissed Head Coach, but a structural decision backed by G2 Esports upper management. By bringing in Patrick "Pad" Suckow-Breum on the coaching staff alongside Lyncas in the jungle, G2 is clearly betting on an established Vitality coach-jungler synergy to hit the ground running around Caps.
Still, the scale of this gamble is massive. Benching SkewMond despite a contract running through 2028, risking the loss of a five-year locker room leader like BrokenBlade, and having to fend off Fnatic and NAVI in a bidding war for Labrov, all while suddenly needing to hire a new Head Coach, puts Romain Bigeard and Alban Dechelotte on a razor-thin tightrope. If G2 locks down Labrov's extension and pulls off the buyout for Naak Nako, this 2027 roster will have a terrifying ceiling on paper; if either deal falls through, Berlin could be in for a brutal winter.
SEO consultant for over 20 years and digital entrepreneur, Charles "Grimtag" is the founder of Pro-Gamer.gg, Retrocharting.com, and Gamescharting.com. A competitive gamer, streamer, and retro game collector, he has worked in the video game industry for over 15 years, notably as a consultant for leading game price comparison platforms. Passionate about real-time performance data and gaming technology, he analyzes competitive esports, gaming hardware benchmarks, and creator workflows on Pro-Gamer.gg with an authentic player perspective.
