LoL: European legend switches to the 2nd league of Korea at 27 – Explains the decision that seems so crazy

Rekkles is one of the biggest ADC talents in League of Legends. However, he switched to the role of supporter and joined the T1 Esports Academy team at the end of 2023. In an interview, he explains why it was the best decision for him to move to the 2nd league in South Korea.

This is the situation:

The Swede Carl Martin Erik Rekkles Larsson has taken an admirable step in his career during the off-season
Rekkles is 27 years old and is already considered one of the veterans in esports due to his age
He has joined the South Korean team T1 Esports Academy, not as an ADC, but as a supporter. Previously, he played for Fnatic, G2 Esports, and Karime Corp, among others

Now he will play in the upcoming season in the LCK Challengers League. There, he will meet young talents. He is already training in South Korea for the upcoming season, and he quickly reached the rank of Challenger in Soloqueue.

In an interview, Rekkles revealed why he chose T1 and why he did not stay in Europe. He also explains why the switch to supporter is the best decision.

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The Decision for T1: A Dream Comes True

In an exclusive interview with Kim Yong-woo from Daily Esports, Rekkles shared why he decided to join T1 and not stay in Europe. The Swede emphasized that T1 contacted him first. After discussions with manager Becker (Jeong Hoeyun), he felt an irresistible urge to take on the challenge at T1.

He said:

[…] I think I am someone who wants to seize every opportunity or challenge that comes my way. […] It’s not an easy challenge, but I wanted to have a different experience in Korea, for example, to play professionally, meet Korean people, and experience Korean culture firsthand.
Rekkles via Daily Esports

The Switch to Support: A New Challenge

The decision for the supporter position did not come overnight. Rekkles explained that he did not want to have any What if I …-moments during the game. After establishing himself as a professional, he did not want to do the same thing every day. The switch to the support role offered him a new challenge that he happily accepted, as he clearly states in the interview.

I also didn’t want to retire and think about what could have been if I had gone to another team and done something different. For him, being a supporter is like a new challenge, as if he is opening his eyes for the first time. Everything is new and he loves learning new things.

T1 and South Korea: Realizing a Dream

Choosing T1 and South Korea was not just a sports decision for Rekkles, but the realization of a dream. The prospect of playing for T1 in Korea was his dream scenario.

He said:

T1 is the best gaming team and has a great organization. The dream situation I had this time during the position switch was that if I could play in a country, I would play for T1 in Korea.

I am now living my dream. Even though I am on the second team, I have a lot to show as a supporter.
Rekkles via Daily Esports

Although he looks back on a long history as one of Europe’s standout players, Rekkles considers his current team experience to be a new beginning.

He emphasizes:

Even though I am older and more experienced than the other players, I am a newcomer here. I have only been playing in the support role for seven months. To improve, I think it’s necessary to compete in the best region and against the best teams.
Rekkles via Daily Esports

Rekkles also stated that he had no major concerns about playing in the second league. He has great confidence in the expertise of Korean teams in their operations.

He further explained:

When I was at Karmine Corp in 2022, I was worried about the management of the league and the poor attitude of some teams in the league. You don’t have to worry about that here because all teams are LCK teams and behave professionally.
Rekkles via Daily Esports