ADVIENNE to not play in the 2024 LEC, looks to swap to coaching
Henk “Advienne” Reijenga is one of the unfortunate casualties of the 2023 LEC off-season. After swapping rosters three times this year, and never spending more than a split with a single team, Advienne now finds himself out in the cold as the LEC off-season trades come to a close.
The Musical Chairs have Stopped
Much like several other (now former) LEC players, Advienne finds himself without a job in 2024. The lack of available slots in the LEC for 2024 has rendered more than a few ‘jobless’ in Europe. With supply at an all time high, and a want for younger players (LFL, SL, etc.), many have found themselves in a predicament.
Some of these older players have elected to travel to NA, others to Korea, and yet others, such as Advienne, to swap to coaching/extended break while they reassess their options.
A Tumultuous 2023
The 26-year-old Dutch Support player has spent the large majority of his career (since 2019) bouncing from Challengers/Academy organizations. In 2021, he had a brief stint in the LEC (his first), playing for Excel. To date, this was the longest he has ever spent with an organization (at 9 months and 24 days).
Since then, he has bounced around other challenger and academy rosters, until he joined Fnatic TQ in late 2022. He only spent 2 months with the team before joining Fnatic for the Spring Split of the LEC. He was then part of a player swap alongside Adrian “Trymbi” Trybus right before the start of the Summer Split, where he spent the remaining split on KOI.
A New Door Opens
At the end of the season, KOI announced their parting ways with Infinite Reality, with the latter maintaining control over the slot. Just several days ago, Infinite Reality announced their new full roster (which did not include Advienne).
With that, Advienne announced his intentions to ‘shift [his] trajectory.’ One of his biggest takeaways was that he ‘recognized a plateau in [his] mechanical ability.’ However, he went on to clarify that this actually opened up new possibilities, particularly in coaching. While he has yet to receive any such offers, he remains optimistic and has cited his ‘passion for helping others reach their potential.’
“My goal is to make a positive impact, especially for those aspiring to go pro. I’ll also be sharing my insights through educational streams, providing a glimpse into my thought process in game while also trying to make it as enjoyable to watch as I can.”
Reflections and Closing Words
One of Advienne’s biggest takeaways from his year competing in the LEC was that perhaps he might have been ‘too selfless at times.’ He noted that it was likely he had ‘sacrificed his own potential impact for the team.’ He also noted that he wished he had ‘trusted [himself] more, taken on a more aggressive role in draft and embraced the opportunity to carry games.’
“In essence, this transition is not the end, but a new beginning. I’m excited to embrace the opportunities ahead, whether in coaching or in other avenues of life and I’m grateful for the undying love I still have for this game. This will be another chance for personal and professional growth and I’m ready for the next adventure.”
Advienne closed by thanking KOI, Fnatic and the LEC’s fans, as well as the opportunity to both play the game he loves and to make so many friends along the way.
Credit: Michal Konkol/Riot Games
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