Fnatic has just experienced double misfortune at the World Championship of League of Legends. Player Upset has returned to Germany and must withdraw from the tournament. Additionally, they have received a strong fourth team in their preliminary group. Progression to the knockout stage now seems rather unlikely.
What is happening at Fnatic? The AD Carry Elias “Upset” Lipp (featured image) has returned to Germany due to an “urgent family matter,” as the team Fnatic announced (via Twitter). He will not be able to participate in the tournament for the time being.
As a substitute, the also German player Louis “Bean” Schmitz will take over the role of AD Carry. He will debut for Fnatic directly at the World Championship in a match against Hanwha Life Esports.
Who is Bean? Bean primarily played for Fnatic Rising in the NLC – a league for teams from the UK, Ireland, and the Scandinavian countries. According to the website DotEsports, there has only been one training day with the main team so far (via DotEsports.com).
Although Bean is considered a talent and reached 1st place in the rankings in EU West in 2020 (via Twitter), he has not yet been able to prove himself in major tournaments.
Strong new group member and the first defeat
Why did they draw a tough lot? The group of Fnatic seemed manageable at first glance:
- With Royal Never Give Up, they face only the third strongest team from China. However, they are still considered the favorites of the group.
- PSG Talon, on the other hand, is seen as a “solvable” task.
However, each group received an additional team from the so-called Play-Ins. LNG Esports and Hanwha Life Esports were considered favorites and quite challenging tasks. The team Hanwha Life Esports was drawn into Fnatic’s group and defeated the European team immediately.
How did the first match go? On October 11, the first games of the group stage were played. Hanwha Life Esports and Fnatic faced each other directly.
- Already after 4 minutes, Fnatic secured First Blood and a first lead in gold.
- After about 7 minutes, HLE equalized in kills, catching up to their competitor in gold.
- About at minute 12, a fight in the bot lane went horribly wrong. Hanwha Life Esports secured 2 kills and a lead in gold that Fnatic never equaled again.
- After 31 minutes, the match ended with 25 to 5 kills for Hanwha Life Esports.
You can watch the complete match here:
What’s next for Fnatic? Today, on October 12, Fnatic faces the favorite of the group: Royal Never Give Up. If they can achieve a victory here, there are still good chances of progressing.
In the group stage, there will be a “round robin” format. In total, there will be 6 games. A first defeat does not mean elimination, but it makes it harder for Fnatic.
Who the favorites and stars of this World Championship are has been summarized by MeinMMO editor Schuhmann here:
Who will win the LoL Worlds 2021? Odds, stars, and the chances of the Germans
