Team Heretics To Sign International Fan-Favorite Top Laner Evi for Their First LEC Split

DetonatioN FocusMe star Shunsuke “Evi” Murase is reportedly close to signing with LEC’s debuting Team Heretics.

With only two international events in a year, and with only a handful of best-of series, not many players get themselves an opportunity to create a personal following. Especially minor region players that rarely play on the big stages. DFM’s long-time top laner Evi is probably the biggest exception to this role. As one of the most dominant players in his region, Evi spent a lot of time at the Worlds and MSI stages and became one of the most liked players.

Evi’s current contract with DFM is ending on November 22, and it looks like the veteran player will look to play in a stronger region after spending eight years in LJL. In his report today Blix.gg’s Alejandro “anonimotum” Gomis said that the Japanese top laner has reached a verbal agreement with Team Heretics. Gomis’ reporting was also confirmed by Brieuc “LEC Wooloo” Seeger.

Sources: former Detonation Focus Me toplaner Evi 🇯🇵 has reached a verbal agreement with Team Heretics 🇪🇸 to be LEC toplaner.

All details⬇️https://t.co/F2R9DbviX2

— Alejandro Gomis (@anonimotum) November 11, 2022

Evi started his career in LJL back in 2014. He lifted his first trophy in the Spring of 2017 when he joined Rampage. But international recognition started when he joined DFM in 2018. Evi played 10 LJL splits with DFM and won an astounding eight championships. This meant aside from Worlds 2020 and MSI 2018, DFM and Evi were Japan’s representatives on the international stage. His pocket picks like Urgot, his constant smile and his classic thumbs-up pose combined with the recent resurgence of DFM meant the fans warmed up to Evi real quick. Everyone still remembers the fan who kept screaming “EVI” during the Play-Ins in Mexico City this year.

If his transfer to Team Heretics goes through, Evi will also become the first LJL export to a major region. Before him, the most significant Japanese player competing outside of Japan was Ren “Kanji” Motomitsu who was on PCS’s now-defunct Liyab Esports.

But the signing is significant not only for LJL but for LEC as well. The weak top lane pool of the region has been a talking point for fans online in recent years. And we saw a lot of imports coming into LEC, most of them top being laners. According to Wooloo, Evi was competing against İrfan Berk “Armut” Tükek, Finn “Finn” Wiestål and Onurcan “Ragner” Aslan for his position. Kim “Chasy” Dong-hyeon, who found himself on MAD Lions, was also considered by Heretics.