G2 Esports has reportedly made a “verbal commitment” to transfer League of Legends star Luka “Perkz” Perković to the LCS’s Cloud9. The news was revealed yesterday by former ESPN Esports journalist Jacob Wolf, who previously revealed G2 had been in talks with multiple organizations over Perkz. According to Wolf, the Croatian star’s buyout stood at a staggering $5 million.
Earlier this week, Wolf revealed on Twitter that G2 Esports had been looking to sell Perkz ahead of the 2021 season, and was “actively engaging” with six other organizations. G2 reportedly spoke with Team SoloMid, 100 Thieves, Evil Geniuses, and Cloud9 from the LCS, along with Misfits and Team Vitality from the LEC. Wolf reported that the star AD carry’s buyout stood at a record-breaking $5 million, making him one of the most expensive players in esports.
G2 and Cloud9 have now reportedly come to a “verbal commitment,” though no official deal can be made until the League of Legends free agency period begins on November 16th. Details regarding the proposed deal have not been released, though Wolf earlier claimed the player’s salary would be “record-setting.”
Perkz is one of the most successful European League of Legends stars, having taken home both domestic and international titles. Since joining G2 Esports in 2015, the Croatian star has won all but two LEC split titles.
G2 has placed in the top four at the last three World Championships, reaching the Grand Final in 2019. After Perkz’s swap to the AD carry position, the team took home the trophy at the 2019 Mid-Season Invitational, becoming the first western team to do so.
While Perkz has switched between the mid lane and AD carry roles in his last few years with G2, the 22-year-old will move back to the mid lane role once under the Cloud9 banner. According to Wolf, current Cloud9 mid laner, 22-year-old Yasin "Nisqy" Dinçer, will be made available for full buyout during the upcoming free agency period.
Should this deal go through, Perkz will become Cloud9’s mid laner for the LCS 2021 season, which is expected to start sometime early next year. This stands to be Perkz's first move to the North American region in his League career. Neither Cloud9 nor G2 have confirmed this move.
Source: Jacob Wolf