T1 Signs Nick ‘LS’ De Cesare as Riftbound Pro

Seoul-based T1 announced the signing of Nick “LS” De Cesare on June 19, 2026. The contract names LS as T1’s Riftbound player and marks the organisation’s formal entry into the game’s competitive scene.

LS is a League of Legends analyst and content creator who began his competitive card-game career in Magic: The Gathering. He has built a Riftbound audience on social media and has run events in South Korea to introduce League of Legends fans to the card game.

Earlier in 2026, LS won the Best of Teemo award at the Las Vegas Regional Qualifier while representing FlyQuest and T1 through his League of Legends content and analyst connections. He has stated he expects the work he has done in Korea to produce results soon and indicated developments are planned in the coming weeks.

Riftbound launched in China before English cards were released and has strong uptake there. To date, Korea has not been a core competitive region for the game.

The competitive Riftbound field currently features dedicated card teams and crossover players from other collectible card games. A player representing EDG won a Sydney event in May 2026, and Spain’s Team Mico placed three players in the top eight at Utrecht in June 2026. Other competitors included groups such as TSS and Team Poland.

T1’s signing registers the organisation in the Riftbound tournament landscape. As a contracted player, LS is eligible to compete under T1 at future Regional Qualifiers and other events. Organisational support from T1 may affect how LS enters upcoming tournaments and community activities.