The lineup for Origen, the League of Legends team created by superstar mid laner Enrique “xPeke” Cedeño Martínez, is shaping up fast.
Alfonso “Mithy” Aguirre Rodriguez and Jesper “Niels” Svenningson will make up the bottom lane for the team, according to an Esportsheaven report.
The pair should make a powerful bottom lane combination. Rodriguez ranked as one of the top supports in Europe as a member of Ninjas in Pyjamas before a suspension for toxicity kept him out of competition for most of this year. After a successful reinstatement review last week, Rodriguez is ready to return to action and brings another Spanish talent to Martinez’s new Spanish organization.
Joining him is Svenningson, the man tabbed to replace former Fnatic star Martin “Rekkles” Larsson. But while it was clear Fnatic and Martinez coveted Svenningson, it was unclear at the time whether the up-and-coming Danish star would end up with Fnatic or Martinez’s new team, should the mid laner set out on his own. Now, he’s set to join Rodriguez in what should be one of the best bottom lanes in Europe.
That leaves the top lane and jungle spots still open. Origen has contacted former Team SoloMid jungler Maurice “Amazing” Stückenschneider to fill the jungle vacancy, and the squad is looking at Alex “Alex Ich” Ichetovkin in the top lane, a source told Esportsheaven.
Stückenschneider moved to America to join SoloMid in the Summer and helped them regain the LCS title. But he returned to Europe after the Riot World Championships and is looking to join another championship caliber team.
Ichetovkin joined local Russian team RoX.KiS in November after exhausting his League Championship Series options, potentially the last hurrah of a legendary career. But a spot on Origen, alongside former Ninjas in Pyjamas teammate Rodriguez, could put Ichetovkin back on the map. The Ichetovkin and Martinez pairing is certainly an exciting one: two of the game’s most legendary mid laners, both deciding to leave the LCS, banded together.
Of course, Origen itself doesn’t have a guaranteed spot in the LCS. The team will need to compete in the Challenger series if they hope to win a slot by the Summer season, and potentially qualify for the Riot World Championships. While it may seem automatic for a team with so much talent to qualify, Rodriguez and Ichetovkin will be the first to tell you, after their time in Ninjas in Pyjamas experience, that nothing is certain.
Image via xPeke/Twitter
