“NLC games might even offer more excitement than some LEC games” – caster Solari previews what fans can expect from the Winter 2025 season, hints at in-person events and picks her players to watch

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As the NLC gears up for a monumental 2025 season, it’s not only the teams that have some top talent in them. The Arozzi NLC 2025 broadcast talent line-up is impressive, and among them is Alisia ‘Solari’ Linnik, a streamer, cosplayer and promising voice in the esports scene. Having begun her professional casting journey just a few years ago, Solari now joins the NLC talent roster for the upcoming split.

In this exclusive interview with Esports News UK, Solari shares her views on the upcoming Winter split of the NLC, its new teams bringing veteran players, the league’s new format, and underdogs that just might become new fans’ favourites. With expectations sky-high for this split, it’s clear that the NLC is on the cusp of an exciting season — maybe even a live event in the region.

Hi Solari, thank you for your time! First of all I’d like to know more about you. Could you introduce yourself and share how you joined the NLC talent line-up for 2025?

Hi, my name is Solari. I started casting professionally in 2022. Before that, I was doing it just for fun, but in 2023, I began my professional journey with UltraLiga, which used to be the polish-plus-baltics regional league tournament—our local ERL. I worked with them until their unfortunate closure for the 2025 season.

I’ve also appeared on several other broadcasts, including the NLC. Back in 2022, I worked with NLC Division 2 and even made a guest appearance in Division 1 during the summer split. On top of that, I worked with EMEA Masters, Twitch Rivals, and a few other titles. So, essentially, that’s my journey leading to the NLC talent roster for 2025.

This year is shaping up to be a big year for the NLC. We’ll dive into the new teams and rosters soon, but could you talk a bit about your views on the changes coming to the NLC for 2025?

It’s a big year, and the changes are substantial. What’s most exciting is that these changes aren’t just about this year—they’re part of a long-term project to rebrand and reshape the NLC.

2025 is just the beginning, but the expectations for this split are massive, especially among the talent roster.

There’s a lot happening behind the scenes, and this year is going to be monumental. I truly hope these changes will solidify the NLC’s path forward. The goal is to establish the NLC not just as a top-tier league for the current teams but also as a foundation for grassroots growth.

We want local teams from Scandinavia, the UK and Malta to have a sustainable tournament structure where they can prove themselves, grow, and eventually thrive in the competitive scene. Unfortunately, that’s often a big question mark for ERL players and teams, but with these changes, we’re aiming to give them the support they need.

I think European fans are going to be very excited about this. Over the years, the international ecosystem for LoL Esports has changed so many times. Yet the ERLs, which form the foundation of everything we build in Europe, have often been somewhat neglected. So I’m really thrilled to hear about these changes.

I understand you can’t reveal too much, but could you tell me a bit more about the potential events that might be coming?

The NLC is trying to bring itself closer to the fans. There will be a few occasions where viewers can meet the players, teams and talent in real life, but that’s all I can share for now.

I can’t wait to hear more about it! Let’s talk a bit about the teams. One of the big changes coming to the NLC—and what I think will draw more viewers—is the arrival of veteran players and new teams into the ecosystem. Could you share more about that?

I’m personally very excited—not just as part of the NLC talent line-up, but also as a fan who has followed the league for a few years now. Seeing these players return is amazing. For example, if you look at rosters like Nord Esports, I think it’s the most exciting one for me. It’s filled with so many familiar names coming back to the scene, even from retirement.

These are players that people feel nostalgic about—not just because of their playstyle, which is obviously incredible, but also because of the memories and personality they bring. As a Polish person, I have to mention Jankos, who will be the jungler for The Ruddy Sack. He’s such an iconic figure for every Polish League of Legends fan, and seeing him play in the NLC within such a strong roster is just thrilling.

What’s great about this is that people don’t just follow teams, they follow personalities, and when you combine a roster full of great personalities, it draws even more attention and excitement.

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A post shared by Solari (@solaristreams)

Solari recently posted photos of a recent Arcane event on her Instagram page, where she also shares some of her cosplay work

Why do you think these new players will bring so many new viewers? Are you excited about that, or do you think the extra attention might create challenges for the league?

It definitely brings a lot of pressure—for everyone. It’s a challenge for the behind-the-scenes crew, the talent line-up, and even for me personally as a relatively new face in the ecosystem.

I can’t predict how people will react to me, but I can only hope they’ll like what I bring to the table. That said, I think having more eyes on the NLC is a good thing. It’s an opportunity, not a drawback.

More attention means more sponsors, more opportunities, and more resources to give back to the players and the community. It’s a natural step for the league if it wants to grow and continue supporting its ecosystem.

How do you see the overall landscape evolving with these new teams and veteran players? What about the smaller teams and players who aren’t as well-known yet—do they have a chance to shine?

This is a huge opportunity for them to grow. While a lot of viewers may tune in initially to follow the big names and teams, they’ll inevitably be exposed to new players and rosters. This could be a breakout season for some of those lesser-known players to make a name for themselves.

Of course, it’s a lot of pressure, too. Competing against players who have been on the world stage or in the LEC for years is no small task. But that’s part of what makes it exciting—growth comes from challenges. This season could be a “name-making” moment for some of these players. They’ll have the chance to prove themselves against legends, and that’s a rare and valuable opportunity.

Aside from the big-name veterans, is there anyone specific in the NLC that I should keep an eye on?

The team that comes to my mind, honestly, is DMG.

This team has been part of the scene for quite some time. It’s a Norwegian team, and they’ve always been very interesting to watch. They don’t necessarily bring in the biggest names, but if you look at the roster closely, they include players who have already established themselves in the ERL scene. They try to merge them into a cohesive team because, let’s face it, you can bring in the five best players in the world, but there’s no guarantee the team will actually be good or play well together.

It’s more about finding players who have good synergy, and I feel like DMG Esports have been fairly successful with that approach. For example, this time they have Faetski, who will be the ADC for the team, and for me that’s an exciting addition because it’s another name from the Polish scene coming to the same league I’ll be working with.

He’s a player who’s been competing in the Ultraliga—not as long as some other players in the NLC right now, but for a considerable time. He’s already established himself with a very interesting champion pool and an exciting win rate. He’ll be playing alongside teammates with comparable experience, and I think this team might surprise people.

Even though they aren’t bringing in the biggest names like Vizicsacsi or Rekkles, they still could be a very exciting team to watch. So, yes, be excited about the big names, but also look beyond them to see what these teams are building.

Let’s break down the teams a bit more because I’m really curious about them. Among the big names, Caedrel’s team Los Ratones is obviously the biggest team in the NLC in terms of bringing veteran names to the scene. What do you think about their roster, and why do you feel their introduction to the league will bring a significant change?

Those are massive names in themselves. We’re looking at Crowny, Nemesis, and Rekkles—players who have already established themselves as greats. While they haven’t always been able to fully shine due to team limitations or external factors, individually, they’re incredible players.

When I first heard about the roster, my initial question was: “How are they going to work together?”

But, thankfully, Los Ratones have been streaming nearly every single scrim they’ve had so far. You can see how much effort is happening behind the scenes—how much work is going into building team synergy and understanding among the players. So far, based on what we’ve seen from their streams, the team spirit is high. Everyone seems determined, and they all share the same goals. That’s exciting because, on paper, this team looks extremely strong, and it seems like they’re actively addressing any issues they encounter in their games.

I think this team is going to attract a lot of viewers because of the star power they bring, but they also seem like a team that can prove themselves and climb very high in the standings as well.

On the other side The Ruddy Sack is positioning themselves as the primary rival, or one of the top contenders against Los Ratones. What can we expect from such an explosive matchup?

Ruddy are always an interesting case because they bring a lot of personality, both inside and outside of the game. They’re a team that has always aimed high but hasn’t always been able to achieve the success they were hoping for.

This time, though, I really like the roster. I think it’s a very explosive one, especially in terms of their playstyle.

Combining Jankos and Perkz, and adding Hustlin to the roster… It feels like it’s going to be a very spicy combination. At the same time, these players have proven themselves to be exciting to watch, both as individuals and as people.

I’m not 100% convinced about how high Ruddy will be able to climb this time. They’re a team I’m giving a lot of slack to. I’m allowing them to surprise me. Whether they surprise me in a positive or negative way—that’s entirely up to them.

Could you give me a rundown of the other teams and what we can expect from them? Why should players tune in for matches beyond the ones featuring the big names?

I like Verdant’s roster, it’s similar to what I mentioned earlier with DMG Esports, they’re bringing in solid, established names from the ERLs. They have Papiteero, who I enjoyed watching during the EMEA Masters last year.

They also have Mishigu and Ronaldo, a slightly newer name to me but still very exciting. Verdant are looking like a top four or top five team for me at the moment, though we don’t have the full roster yet [at the time of conducting this interview]. I’m particularly looking forward to seeing their top lane and mid lane, as I think those two positions could be key.

Bulldog Esports is bringing in Mietek from the Ultraliga. By the way, the Ultraliga has been known for producing a lot of top players who are both talented and very young. Mietek is one of them. If I remember correctly, he started playing professionally at just 17 years old, which is insane when you think about it. He’s still very young and has already accomplished a lot. I’m really interested to see how he grows in this new environment, especially since the competition will be fierce.

As for Nord Esports, we’ve already talked about them. They have some giant names. Honestly, with Vizicsacsi this team is probably going to be seen by many as one of the biggest competitors to Los Ratones, but that also depends on how well Ruddy performs.

Then we have Lundqvist Lightside. I swear, one day they’ll pick an easier name for themselves, but they have RustySniper, who has a very exciting ADC to watch. They also have WNTR in the top lane and Hybradge in the jungle. These names might not shout as loudly as the ones in Los Ratones’ roster, but if you’ve been following the ERLs or watching EMEA Masters, you’ll recognize them: these are players with very high ceilings, and I believe they can really grow in this league as well.

Then we have Kaos E-sport; but honestly, I can’t say much about them yet. They’re still names I’m not fully familiar with, so I’ll need to see more before I can comment.

And in Rich Gang, we have Banderas, who’s a personal favourite of mine—probably because of the name, but also because of how interesting he is as a top laner. Rich Gang are another team that still have to prove themselves in my eyes, but they’re adding another important piece to the puzzle.

Overall, I believe this season will feature very high competition, especially in the top lane. It’s often either the most boring lane to watch in professional games, or one of the most exciting. With the addition of Ambessa to the champion pool, along with the names playing in the top lane, I think it will put a lot of pressure on the newer players in that role. However, if they can handle the pressure and grow, they’ll develop quickly and substantially.

Looking at all these rosters, it feels like many new players, as you mentioned earlier, are getting the opportunity to grow and showcase what they can do. On the other hand, we also have a lot of veterans who some might say have fallen out of favor on the international stage, but have now found a home in the ERLs. What does this shift mean for the NLC and the ERLs, given that so many veterans are coming back to the tier two scene?

It means a lot of things, and I’m not sure how many of them are good or bad. It really depends on your perspective. On the one hand, we now have a very tight competition in tier one—maybe too tight for some players from tier one, who might feel like they can’t achieve their personal goals there anymore. That’s why we’re seeing some of them move down to tier two, which is great for the tier two scene.

So, by moving to tier two, these veterans bring with them a wealth of skill and experience, which raises the level of competition in that tier. It makes the bar for entry higher, and for actually succeeding, even higher. But it also means that newcomers will face a very challenging year. It’s going to be tough for them. They’ll either step up, show their best, and grow quickly, or they’ll fall behind.

How do you compete with someone who’s been in the LEC for years? It’s incredibly difficult. These players have the experience of competing against better opponents, and they know how to perform at a high level.

But does this benefit tier one? That’s where I’m a bit uncertain. Having stronger competition is always good, but it’s still a blow for tier one to lose some of these names to tier two. Does that mean tier one will lose some of the attention that these players used to attract? Will the charisma and talent of these veterans be less visible in tier one? Right now, before the season starts, I’d say it probably will be. Is that a bad thing or a good thing? I think only time will tell.

There will be a lot of new viewers tuning in, but also plenty of LEC and international fans who might not initially be interested in following the NLC as a league, but just a handful of players. If you had the chance to speak directly to them, what would you say to inspire them to follow all matches in the NLC?

I’ve already heard some opinions that, just by looking at the names in the rosters, this is going to be not just the most exciting split in NLC history, but potentially one of the most challenging and competitive. The games might even offer more excitement than some LEC games!

I’m not saying the LEC is going to be any less interesting, but the NLC will have a completely different vibe this time around. The competition is going to be much higher, and the stakes are going to feel bigger.

I understand that some viewers will tune into the NLC for the first time simply to follow their favourite streamers or players who have found their home here.

But my hope for these new viewers is that they’ll stay, not just because of these familiar names, but because there are so many fresh faces in the scene that they might not have seen before—or maybe they’re just joining the larger ERL stage for the first time. These new players are going to prove themselves. Historically, the NLC has been a region where a lot of talent grows and eventually makes its way to bigger stages in the global scene.

I really hope these viewers, no matter who they tuned in for initially, will stick around and discover new players, new teams, and new stories. I want them to find a team they never considered before, and support them. I believe we’re going to see so much personal development—on and off the Rift—throughout the split, both from the players and the teams. It’s one of the most exciting things to look forward to in any championship, and I truly think the NLC will deliver that.

Thanks to Solari for the interview! For more NLC news and content, we’ll have plenty throughout the year here at Esports News UK

Cecilia Ciocchetti

Hi, I’m Cecilia! A freelance writer mainly focusing on League of Legends and its esports scenes. Find me at events interviewing anyone who has a story to tell, from players to the talented people working behind the scenes. Do you also have a story to share? Reach out to me via Twitter.