JNX returns to LFL with Vitality.Bee after LEC exit

Janik “JNX” Bartels has reached a verbal agreement with Vitality.Bee after an unsuccessful stint with SK Gaming in the League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC).

The German top laner will return to the European Regional Leagues next split after agreeing to join Team Vitality’s secondary team in La Ligue Française (LFL).

The news comes following a rough split for JNX at SK Gaming, who he joined in December 2024 as a part of a major roster overhaul.

SK Gaming ended LEC 2025 Winter in ninth place and have not found any more success in LEC 2025 Spring, again settling for a second-to-last-place finish.

After a combined 3-15 record across the two splits, SK Gaming opted to freshen up their lineup again, which includes replacing JNX.

Despite the uninspiring results in the LEC, JNX returns to the LFL, where he accomplished great things last season.

The German top laner was a key member of the Team BDS Academy roster, where he played alongside jungler Rudy “SkewMond” Semaan, mid laner Steven “Reeker” Chen, and support Polat “Parus” Çiçek, all of whom got offered LEC contracts for the 2025 season.

With Team BDS Academy, JNX won LFL Summer 2024 and EMEA Masters Summer 2025, adding to his Prime League Summer 2023 title with SK Gaming Prime.

JNX now joins the team he defeated in the EMEA Masters Summer 2024 finals, where he will take over for Maximilian “Vertigo” Rassi, who is already exploring his options.

By signing JNX, Vitality.Bee will hope to bounce back after a slow start to the season, having finished LFL 2025 Winter in seventh-eighth and Spring in fourth place.

JNX will debut for his new team in the LFL 2025 Summer, scheduled to start on July 23.

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