Schalke 04 is making some “necessary” changes to its starting lineup ahead of the 2021 LEC Summer Split.
The League of Legends team has introduced 24-year-old jungler Thomas “Kirei” Yuen to the lineup, S04 announced today. He’ll replace Erberk “Gilius” Demir, who will remain on the team as a substitute going forward.
“We looked into options for the jungle position in this offseason, and very early on realized that Kirei could be a great fit for us for,” S04 said. After participating in a try-out period with the team, the coaching staff, management, and players warmed up to the idea of signing the jungler.
Schalke believes Kirei will “pop off” in the Summer Split, based on his experience and performance in Turkey and the European Regional League with teams like GamersOrigin, Misfits Premier, and 1907 Fenerbahçe.
“We have a lot of confidence that with our coaching staff and such strong players next to him, he’ll be able to prove the potential he’s always shown in the past,” Schalke said. This includes his “outstanding” mechanics in solo queue.
Gilius “didn’t work too well” with the team in the 2021 Spring Split, according to Schalke. This led to a “shaky performance” at times and ultimately the decision to promote Kirei to the starting lineup.
S04 finished with a 9-9 record in the 2021 LEC Spring Split regular season before losing 3-1 to finalists Rogue in the lower bracket. The team will look to improve on its place in the standings and qualify for Worlds 2021 with the addition of Kirei.
Gilius has been given the option to look for other opportunities elsewhere.
Make sure to follow us on YouTube for more esports news and analysis.
