Rhilech has been named the LEC Rookie of the Year for 2026, in his debut season with Natus Vincere. The jungler, who is just 20 years old, received the award in Berlin on September 11 before NAVI’s playoff game against GIANTX.
Rhilech finished ahead of SK Gaming's Jopa and Shifters' Rooster in the voting. He has also been named to the LEC's third All-Pro Team this summer, making him the only NAVI player to receive individual recognition there.
Rhilech wins LEC Rookie of the Year
Riot announced Rhilech as the Rookie of the Year on Friday, bringing an end to the award race before the Summer Split has finished. For Rhilech, it caps a strong debut season after finally getting his chance to play in the LEC.
He has quickly become an important player for NAVI, with the team regularly giving him room to make plays from the jungle. Rhilech also made an immediate impression earlier in the season, including taking a game MVP against Movistar KOI.
It feels amazing, to be honest. But this is just the tip of the iceberg for me
- Rhilech in interview with Sjokz
Riot's official LEC announcement confirmed Rhilech as the 2026 winner. Rhilech's official X account is also available for his latest updates.
How the Rookie of the Year vote finished
Rhilech came out on top in the 2026 Rookie of the Year voting, with SK Gaming's Jopa taking second place and Shifters' Rooster finishing third.
All three players had their moments during the season, but Rhilech ultimately made the strongest case for the award. His performances helped establish him as one of NAVI's key players, while Jopa and Rooster also earned recognition for their individual performances.
Rhilech's career path to the LEC
Rhilech's route to the LEC was not straightforward. The Turkish jungler spent time in the regional scene with BK ROG Esports before being acquired by Natus Vincere. NAVI initially signed him as part of its plans for the 2026 season after bringing in another jungler for the previous Summer Split.
He subsequently entered 2026 as NAVI's starting jungler and immediately had to adapt to the pressure of playing in the LEC. According to the available career history, visa problems had also delayed his path to the European league, making his eventual debut a significant milestone in his career.
Rhilech made an immediate impression, including taking a game MVP on his opening day against Movistar KOI. As the season progressed, NAVI increasingly relied on his ability to create plays and carry games from the jungle.
His individual form was also recognized in the Summer All-Pro selections. Rhilech was named to the LEC's third All-Pro Team and was the only NAVI player to receive an individual accolade in that selection.
How NAVI performed in LEC 2026
NAVI's results have been more mixed than Rhilech's individual recognition. The team finished fifth-sixth in both LEC Versus and the Spring Split, establishing itself as a playoff-level team without yet breaking into the league's top tier.
The Summer Split provided another opportunity to improve. NAVI finished the Split 3 regular season in fifth place with a 5-4 series record, narrowly behind GIANTX on the same record. The top six teams advanced to the playoffs, putting NAVI into the postseason and setting up another meeting with GIANTX.
NAVI's official tournament record shows the team winning its final regular-season series against GIANTX 2-1. That result helped secure fifth place and kept NAVI's Summer campaign alive.
The Summer playoff run is therefore an important final test for Rhilech. The Rookie of the Year award recognizes his individual season, but NAVI still has a chance to turn its consistent playoff appearances into a deeper run and potentially qualify for Worlds.
LEC Split 3 regular-season standings
Split 3 of the LEC season has come to an end, with Karmine Corp finishing first after an unbeaten 9-0 run. NAVI secured fifth place with a 5-4 record, which was enough to send the team through to the playoffs.
| Place | Team | Series | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Karmine Corp | 9-0 | 100% |
| 2 | Team Vitality | 7-2 | 78% |
| 3 | G2 Esports | 6-3 | 67% |
| 4 | GIANTX | 5-4 | 56% |
| 5 | Natus Vincere | 5-4 | 56% |
| 6 | Movistar KOI | 4-5 | 44% |
| 7 | Fnatic | 3-6 | 33% |
| 8 | SK Gaming | 3-6 | 33% |
| 9 | Team Heretics | 2-7 | 22% |
| 10 | Shifters | 1-8 | 11% |
As seen on The official LEC standings, Team Vitality and G2 Esports followed Karmine Corp in the top three, while GIANTX also finished 5-4. NAVI took fifth place ahead of the playoffs.
Every LEC Rookie of the Year winner since 2019
Split 3 has now wrapped up, setting the final standings ahead of the playoffs. Here is how all 10 teams finished the regular season:
| Year | Winner | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Enes "Rhilech" Uçan | Natus Vincere |
| 2025 | Caliste Henry-Hennebert | Karmine Corp |
| 2024 | Adam "Jackies" Jeřábek | GiantX |
| 2023 | Martin "Yike" Sundelin | G2 Esports |
| 2022 Summer | Lee "JeongHoon" Jeong-hoon | Astralis |
| 2022 Spring | Lucjan "Shlatan" Ahmad | Misfits |
| 2021 Summer | Adam Maanane | Fnatic |
| 2021 Spring | Javier "Elyoya" Prades Batalla | MAD Lions |
| 2020 Summer | Labros "Labrov" Papoutsakis | Team Vitality |
| 2020 Spring | Iván "Razork" Martín | Misfits |
| 2019 Summer | Kacper "Inspired" Słoma | Rogue |
| 2019 Spring | Oskar "Selfmade" Boderek | SK Gaming |
Rhilech joins a particularly notable group of junglers among the award's winners. Selfmade, Elyoya, Inspired and Yike all went on to make significant marks on the European scene, giving Rhilech an impressive group of predecessors in his role.
Why Rhilech's award stands out
The 2026 award continues a recent run of rookies making an immediate impact. Yike won three major domestic titles with G2 during his debut year, while Caliste helped Karmine Corp win an LEC title in his first split before reaching the First Stand final.
NAVI's season has been less consistent than Rhilech's individual form. While the team finished fifth in Split 3, the jungler established himself as one of its main players. His All-Pro selection and Rookie of the Year award show how highly his individual performance was rated.
Photo by Wojciech Wandzel/Riot Games.
Frequently asked questions about the Rookie of the Year
Who won LEC Rookie of the Year in 2026?
Natus Vincere jungler Enes "Rhilech" Uçan won the 2026 LEC Rookie of the Year award.
Who did Rhilech beat for the award?
Rhilech finished ahead of SK Gaming AD carry Jopa and Shifters top laner Rooster in the 2026 vote.
What team does Rhilech play for?
Rhilech plays jungle for Natus Vincere in the LEC.
Where did NAVI finish in the LEC Split 3 regular season?
NAVI finished fifth in the regular-season standings with a 5-4 record, earning a place in the playoffs.
Who won the LEC Rookie of the Year award in 2025?
Karmine Corp's Caliste won the 2025 Rookie of the Year award before Rhilech took the honor in 2026.
Which other junglers have won the LEC rookie award?
Previous junglers to win the award include Selfmade, Elyoya, Inspired and Yike.
Rhilech has one more chapter to write
Even though Rhilech might already be holding on to the Rookie of the Year Award, it does not mean that everything else is over for him in the season. The fifth place that NAVI got means that they will be participating in the Summer playoffs. A successful playoff run could give Rhilech and NAVI a team achievement to match his individual award.
The immediate focus is NAVI's playoff campaign and its push toward the LEC's Worlds places. The official LEC playoff stage provides the latest bracket and results, while the LEC section, esports coverage and latest news will follow the rest of the season.
