SK Gaming has reportedly locked in their top laner for 2025: Janik “JNX” Bartels will take the vacant spot.
Image Credit: LFL
JNX to fill Irrelevant’s shoes in the upcoming season
Based on a report by Sheep Esports, JNX has reached a verbal agreement with SK Gaming. The German player, who has been playing with Team BDS Academy in the past season, will make his return to the SK lineup after his first stint which goes back to 2019.
JNX will be replacing Joel “Irrelevant” Miro Scharoll, who reached a verbal agreement to join Team BDS for 2025. Among the choices considered by the German organization, LEC top laners such as Kyeong “Photon” Gyu-tae and Adam “Adam” Maanane were considered.
A return to the LEC
JNX previously already played on the LEC stage with the SK Gaming squad back in 2020 but later found himself in the ERLs in the past two years, first with SK’s academy squad and then with Team BDS Academy.
In particular, he was able to beat KCB in the LFL summer playoffs, proving to the world his improvement as a top laner and beating the previous record of most solo kills from a top laner, achieving an impressive 82 solo kills in the regular season.
Known in the past for being quite an all-rounded player with the ability to play both carries and weakside, JNX has evolved even more, increasing his carry potential even more and most importantly, the clutch factor to lead his team to victory.
With JNX, SK Gaming has seemingly locked in its top side of the map for 2025, with jungler Ismaïl “ISMA” Boualem and mid laner Steven “Reeker” Chen also reaching verbal agreements. The Korean bot lane duo of Rahel and Luon, who played in the past season, is currently contracted until 2025. That said, the full lineup is yet to be fully confirmed.