Vetheo Reportedly Joining Excel for 2023 LEC Season

The LEC offseason this year is about to get even crazier. While big names like Hans sama and Rekkles have already reportedly found homes back in the LEC, some of the best players from last season are also migrating to new teams.

Following their acquisitions of Rogue’s star top laner Andrei “Odoamne” Pascu, Astralis’s jungler Andrei “Xerxe” Dragomir, and G2 Esports’s support Raphaël “Targamas” Crabbé, it appears as if XL will round out their roster with 2022 Spring Split MVP mid laner Vincent “Vetheo” Berrié. If this is true, these four players will join Excel ADC (attack damage carry) Patrik “Patrik” Jírů as the starting members for Excel in spring.

XL Vetheo

The news of Vetheo’s move comes, once again, from renowned insider and League of Legends leaker Brieuc “LEC Wooloo” Seeger, who announced Excel’s acquisition on November 7th. His full announcement is as follows:

[Sources] Mid laner Vetheo has reached a verbal agreement with EXCEL for next year.

Although these rumors are always subject to change, Excel is set to acquire one of the best mid laners in the league. Vetheo can officially sign when LEC free agency opens up on November 21st.

HRTS Vetheo: What Could Have Been

While it is likely that Vetheo would have stayed with Misfits in 2023, the organization announced that they would be selling their spot in the LEC to pursue other avenues in the eSports scene. While multiple organizations were interested, including Karmine Corp and KOI, Team Heretics finalized a reported $35 million dollar deal for 80% of Misfits’s franchise spot. While the exact contents of the transaction are not known, Team Heretics’s majority share allowed them complete control over the branding and roster of the team slot moving forward.

Team Heretics previously competed in the LVP SuperLiga. They won the league’s title this year and then proceeded to win the largest minor league tournament in Europe: European Masters.
Although rumors are already swirling around about their roster in their LEC debut next year, nothing has been announced yet regarding their current players. Notably, they were the first team allowed to enter discussions with Misfits’ 2022 roster. While no information is public about any of these discussions, it was entirely possible that Vetheo could have led Team Heretics in 2023.

Had he agreed to compete under Team Heretics’s banner in 2023, he would have replaced the team’s current mid laner Artur “Zwyroo” Trojan. As it stands now, Team Heretics will continue to compete in the LEC with their current lineup, including Trojan.

Interestingly, Vetheo had previously stated he would be interested in playing for Karmine Corp (KCorp) if they chose to enter the LEC this year. With Team Heretics seizing the opportunity before KCorp, it is unlikely that KC Vetheo will happen any time soon. KCorp have continued to express interest in an LEC spot, yet no deals have come to fruition yet.

If Vetheo chooses to honor his verbal agreement with Excel and sign with them on November 21st, they are set to become one of the best teams in the LEC. While nearly every team in the LEC has already reportedly made a significant number of roster moves, the frontrunners from 2022 (Rogue, Fnatic, G2, and MAD Lions) will look very different in 2023. Notably, none of these deals are finalized as of yet; however, when they are confirmed, the top of the LEC could look very different next season.