6 most impressive rookies of the 2025 League of Legends season so far

Every new competitive season in League of Legends brings a fresh wave of talent, and 2025 is no exception. 

With teams no longer relying on experienced veterans, several new faces have emerged in the space who have already established themselves as the future stars of their respective leagues. They’ve arrived with confidence and incredible mechanics and haven’t backed down when going toe-to-toe with the best. 

If you have just caught up to the 2025 League of Legends esports season, here are the best rookies to pay attention to this year and in the coming seasons. 

The 2025 season has not only marked a turning point for the League of Legends esports ecosystem, but it has also changed team philosophies when it comes to roster building. 

More teams have been looking to make bets on new talents, hand-picking them from the developmental systems of academy squads and the tier-two scene in general. Some of them have already made their name on the international stage, while others are looking to prove their worth to land stronger teams and rise up to the top of the pyramid.

Caliste has been the poster boy of the rookie class, and for several reasons. The French talent has been under the spotlight in the ERLs for some time with Karmine Corp (KC), and now that he’s turned 18 this year, Caliste got his chance to hit the LEC stage. 

If there were doubts initially, he quickly proved why he’s the next big LEC superstar. Caliste carried KC to First Stand earlier in March, finished on the second all-pro team in the LEC, and finished in the top three during the LEC Spring, averaging top-tier metrics across the board.

It’s crazy to think he’s only 18 years old, given that he looks like he’s been playing on stage for several years already. If he and KC keep this up, he is set to become the Rookie of the Year across the entire LoL esports scene.

SkewMond was brought into G2 to replace Yike, and there was a reason behind the choice. The French jungler was considered the No.1 in his role in the European Regional Leagues (ERLs) and was known for his highly efficient play style.

While it took him some time to settle in, he has now been consistently fighting with the best European junglers, and if G2 makes it back to the international stage at MSI 2025, it’s thanks to him.

There haven’t been many rookies who were able to stand out during their rookie year in the North American scene in recent times. Yuuji is perhaps the one exception, having stepped in to replace UmTi as the starting jungler. 

Coming from the North American Challengers League, Yuuji is a former NACL champion and has won back-to-back MVPs, the only player to have achieved this milestone. TL is putting faith in him, and hopefully, he will be able to pay them back later in the year when Worlds qualification will be on the line. 

While the LCP is often the least followed league, CTBC Flying Oyster’s (CFO) results at First Stand have caught people’s attention. 

In the CFO lineup, mid laner HongQ has had quite a strong start to the season. Even though he has little experience, HongQ is the type of player who does not back down when challenged. During the first international tournament of the season, he was often the one willing to make aggressive plays to put his team in a winning position. 

With CFO looking like the best team from the LCP region, we will likely see more in the second half of the year. 

Calix has been heavily discussed in the past few years after reaching Rank 1 on the Korean server in 2023. He also completely smurfed on T1 Gumayusi in solo queue, quickly gaining the attention of many fans in the scene.

After the start of the LCK season, Calix was promoted to the starting roster on Nongshim RedForce (NS). He only turned 18 earlier this March, but he has already shown promise when facing the best mid lane players in the LCK. Moreover, he was able to get the team to a top-five finish in the first part of the LCK season. He’s one to keep an eye on.

Rounding out the list is Diable — the Korean ADC playing for BNK FearX. While the team has struggled with results so far, Diable was the shining star of the team, often carrying his team on his back. 

Known for having an aggressive playstyle and strong 2v2, Diable has the mechanical prowess to become a superstar ADC in the coming years. The question will be whether he will get the chance to play on a top-tier team in the LCK, which veterans like Viper, Ruler, and Gumayusi currently gatekeep.

There have been quite a few new names on the scene, and the one thing standing out is the level of impact the new rookies have had. Despite having less experience, they have shown high levels of play and the potential to beat even the strongest players. 

And even though we’re just at the mid-point of the season, it’s clear these players will continue to bring that same impact for the rest of the year.