Sentinels CEO Denies Insane $3m Yukino Buyout Rumor for LCS 2026 Roster

October 21, 2025

LoL Esports

Sentinels CEO Rob Moore has denied a rumor claiming that the organization is looking to sign League of Legends jungler Johnny “Yukino” Dang for a record-breaking €3 million buyout ahead of the 2026 season.

In 2026, the League of the Americas (LTA) brand is being reverted, once again becoming the League of Legends Championship Series (LCS), and Sentinels are taking the slot vacated by 100 Thieves. This means they have a roster to build.

Yukino smiling with the LFL trophy — Yukino has impressed in the Karmine Corp Academy team. **Image Credit**: X/yukinocat5

The rumor was started by a user called Rayan, suggesting Yukino would join Sentinels for their LCS team in 2026, moving on from French organization Karmine Corp in Europe.

Moore took to social media in the early hours of October 21 to respond to the rumor, emphatically denying any contact with other organizations or players and urging fans to block the rumor’s originators.

“Everyone should block Rayan and black horse for making up ridiculous stories,” he said. “We haven’t contacted any org about any player.”

Everyone should block Rayan and black horse for making up ridiculous stories. We haven’t contacted any org about any player. https://t.co/XdFrAYPQgx
— Rob Moore (@robmooreEsports) October 21, 2025

The alleged transfer would have been one of the most expensive deals in League esports history, though he would need to be seriously impressive to be considered one of the best player transfers in League.

Yukino, a 19-year-old American talent, joined Karmine Corp Blue in March 2025 after stints with the Disguised academy team, earning praise for his mechanical skill and game sense.

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While North America doesn’t have quite as much acumen in League of Legends as the Europe region does, a move back to his home country could be tempting if this rumor were accurate.

At the time of writing, there’s still little to no knowledge of what exactly Sentinels are planning for their 2026 LCS roster. However, they’re taking 100 Thieves’ spot, and with the team currently competing at LoL Worlds 2025 – and pulling off some seriously impressive wins – we may well see some of that roster switch to Sentinels ahead of next season.