10 League of Legends free agents to look out for in North America and Europe

The 2021 League of Legends season has come to a close and the offseason is getting ready to shift into overdrive with free agency officially opening next week. Teams in the League Championship Series (LCS) and League of Legends European Championship (LEC) are already gearing up to have a stronger 2022 amid an active rumor mill that also includes the return of two major superstars. As teams retool, these are 10 of the biggest free agents to look out for in both North America and Europe.

Zaqueri “Aphromoo” Black

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Aphromoo is the longest tenured player in the LCS and fills a special veteran role in any team that he joins. Dignitas didn’t have the most successful 2021 campaign, but Aphromoo often spearheaded the team’s sporadic success alongside bot lane partner Toan “Neo” Tran. Despite Dignitas only finishing in sixth place this season, Aphromoo still stands out as an unshakeable veteran presence who can solidify any team he joins. Whether a team is a contender or looking to develop newer talent, Aphromoo is one of the best options at support this upcoming season.

Søren “Bjergsen” Bjerg

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This changes everything. TSM and Bjergsen recently announced the star mid laner’s departure after he spent a year coaching the LCS team to a fourth-place finish this season. Bjergsen embraced coaching during his year off from professional play, but he has been clear that it is his time to return to Summoner’s Rift. As arguably the greatest LCS player of all time and one of the best mid laners the region has to offer, teams will be lining up to make Bjergsen the center of their franchise.

Gabriel “Bwipo” Rau

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Bwipo debuted in 2018 for Fnatic and almost immediately rose to stardom, helping the team win yet another domestic title as well as reaching its first world championship final in seven years. Since then, Bwipo has been Fnatic’s rock and one of the team’s primary carries, pushing the team toward continual domestic success. After role swapping to jungle this year and immediately becoming one of the best junglers in Europe, it’s clear that Bwipo will be a hot commodity for both his individual talent and longevity.

Juš “Crownshot” Marušič

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Crownshot hasn’t reached the upper echelons of the LEC, but when he’s at his best, he’s in the conversation as one of the best AD carries in Europe. As a part of Team Vitality, Crownshot was only one game away from eliminating Fnatic in the LEC summer playoffs. Fnatic eventually advanced to the finals and earned Europe’s final seed at the world championship. Despite Vitality not reaching the heights that some fans expected -- finishing in sixth place and not reaching Worlds -- Crownshot proved that he still has what it takes to compete with the best.

Yilliang “Doublelift” Peng

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Following a year of dedicated co-streaming for the LCS, Doublelift has expressed interest in returning to competitive League of Legends with a serious title-contending team. Doubelift retired late last year after contract negotiations fell through with TSM, but if he’s really back on the market, he immediately stands out as the best AD carry talent on the North American market. This isn’t the first time Doublelift has taken a break -- he also missed the entirety of the 2017 spring split -- so team owners and fans have high hopes in the star player returning to form without issue.

Daniele “Jiizuke” di Mauro

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Jiizuke was arguably the best mid laner in the LCS last split, pushing Evil Geniuses within a single game of qualifying for the organization’s first world championship since their European squad qualified in 2013. Jiizuke is both criticized and celebrated for his high-octane gameplay, often making high-risk, high reward plays that land him on both blooper and highlight reels. All that considered, Jiizuke’s highs are almost always worth his lows, and any team looking to re-tool at mid with an aggressive player that’s always ready to turn the tide should look no further than this Italian star.

Kasper “Kobbe” Kobberup

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It was only two years ago when Kobbe was playing with Splyce in the Worlds quarterfinals against SK Telecom T1, taking a single game before losing the series 1-3. As a part of Splyce, Kobbe was viewed as one of Europe’s most consistent AD carries, always bringing damage to the board when his team needed it. After joining Misfits late last year, Kobbe has continued to nurse that reputation as a strong and reliable carry who will always anchor the bottom side of the map. As teams look to gear up their rosters with strong top and mid laners, Kobbe stands out as a perfect piece to round out their bot lane.

Eugene “Pobelter” Park

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Players like Bjergsen and Nicolaj “Jensen” Jensen have defined the mid lane in the LCS, but Pobelter has always been there as the type of mid lane force that stabilizes a team when no one else will. Pobelter is coming off a rough year with Counter Logic Gaming in which the team finished at the bottom of the standings -- 9th in the spring and 10th in the summer -- but it’s hard to pin that kind of result on any individual player. Although teams will be looking to make a splash by signing stars like Bjergsen and Doublelift, Pobelter will be a solid addition to any team looking to knock down North America’s elite.

Oskar “Selfmade” Boderek

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Selfmade is a bona fide star in the jungle. It was only last year that he was pushing Top Esports to the brink with Fnatic in the 2020 world championship quarterfinals. This year’s campaign with Vitality didn’t carry the same flair. As mentioned with Crownshot, the team failed to make Worlds, but Selfmade still proved that he was one of the best junglers in the region in each and every game. As far as junglers go, Selfmade is one of the best possible pickups for both LEC and LCS teams.

Hu “SwordArt” Shuo-Jie

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After signing a two-year contract with TSM last year, SwordArt is back on the market after departing early from North America’s most famous team. SwordArt may choose to return to China’s League of Legends Pro League (LPL) after an underwhelming year with TSM in the LCS, but he still represents a significant upgrade for both North American and European teams as a former Worlds finalist. SwordArt will likely come at a high price, but he might just be worth it for a major contender next season.

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