G2 Esports is finalizing the details of a deal to acquire jungler Marcin "Jankos" Jankowski, sources close to the team and player told ESPN.
Jankos is expected to join the team in the next week, but some concessions will have to be made to ensure that his transition from H2K Gaming to G2 Esports moves smoothly. G2 Esports did not respond to a request for comment.
While his H2K Gaming contract expired on Nov. 20, that team holds a right of first refusal with the player from his previous contract -- meaning if he receives an offer, H2K has the option to match that offer and re-secure Jankos as a member of their team, sources familiar with the player's previous deal told ESPN. In consideration for waiving that right of first refusal, G2 has agreed to pay an undisclosed sum to H2K Gaming, sources said. H2K Gaming declined to comment.
Jankos will join a G2 organization that has also acquired former Splyce top laner Martin "Wunder" Hansen and the bottom lane duo of Petter "Hjärnan" Freyschuss and Kim "Wadid" Bae-in, formerly of Team ROCCAT, in the offseason, sources told ESPN. The team has retained mid laner Luka "PerkZ" Perković. Those five will be the team's starting lineup for 2018.
On Nov. 20, G2 Esports parted ways with four members of its 2017 roster that won two titles in the European League of Legends Championship Series. G2 did not re-sign top laner Ki "Expect" Dae-han following his contract expiration. Former jungler Kim "Trick" Gang-yun expressed his desire to return to his home country of South Korea and eventually joined bbq Olivers on Nov. 27. G2's former bottom lane, Jesper "Zven" Svenningsen and Alfonso "Mithy" Aguirre Rodriguez, joined Team SoloMid on Nov. 21.
Since entering the European League Championship Series in Jan. 2016, G2 has been among the most successful in league history. It has won four championships total across two different roster iterations, both of which PerkZ was a staple member. It has built the roster around him prior and will now do so again.