Strange things are happening around the team Fnatic in League of Legends: Allegedly, the 26-year-old Swede Martin “Rekkles” Larsson is set to return to the LoL team he played for 7 years. But what will happen to his replacement, the German bot laner Elias “Upset” Lipp (22)? He posts a sad smiley and his coach wishes him all the best for his departure.
This is the background: In November 2020, Rekkles decided to leave Fnatic after 7 years to switch teams. The club legend went to G2, nominally the only better club in Europe. He was replaced by the young German player Upset, who had to fill enormous shoes. However, Upset excelled in that role for 2 years.
But apparently, he is now being pushed out of the job by his predecessor.
What makes the transfer carousel spin?
- A normally well-informed insider, LEC Wooloo, reported yesterday on 08.11.2022: Rekkles is returning to Fnatic as a bot laner (via twitter): Rekkles himself posted a tweet saying “I’m back.”
- The current ADC of Fnatic, Elias “Upset” Lipp, then only posted a sad smiley. He has been playing for Fnatic since November 2020, but his days at the European top club seem to be numbered (via twitter).
- As reported by Sport1, Fnatic’s coach, YamatoCannon, allegedly wrote to Upset afterwards: “I hope you find a new home. Your performance over the past few years has been world-class!” The message can no longer be found online. (via sport1)
22-year-old world-class player leaves, 26-year-old veteran in crisis comes
Why is this so strange? The decision is strange because Upset is only 22 years old and has delivered outstanding performance with Fnatic over the past two years. Upset has already been seen by many as the best ADC in Europe with his disciplined playstyle and seemed on the brink of reaching the world elite.
He was dominant in KD/A statistics in Europe and was considered the pivot of the team. Experts identified weaknesses rather in other positions.
After an internal conflict following the 2021 Worlds, which Upset missed due to personal issues, other players left the team – but Upset stayed.
It is therefore strange that he, who was seen as the “heart of the team,” is being replaced.
On the other hand, Rekkles has had two weak years:
- He only remained for one year at G2 in 2021, where he couldn’t really convince. G2 even missed the Worlds.
- In the French league LFL, Rekkles fell short of the massive hype surrounding him.
Rekkles as a figurehead and someone who sells tickets?
Then why is Fnatic doing this? Rekkles is the “franchise player” for Fnatic – the fans love him there, and the LEC missed him as well. He is a player who has become a legend over the years. Rekkles also has a strong personality. The Swede is likely to significantly boost interest in Fnatic – especially on social media.
Perhaps the team managers think the team lacks an experienced leadership figure.
It may well be that Rekkles fulfills a judgment made by Doinb about the USA. The Chinese world champion said that Western teams rely too long on veterans because they “safely sell tickets.” Therefore, young players hardly get chances. In China, however, even the best players, as they get older, must constantly prove themselves against younger players to keep their spot in the team.
However, one must also say: The version of Fnatic with Upset didn’t make it out of the group stage at the Worlds, after 3 games the team suddenly collapsed. Upset was also disappointed by the team’s preparation for the Worlds.
Perhaps Upset is actually not that unhappy that their paths are now parting.
What’s next? Everything is still unclear at the moment. There are some speculations about where Upset might ultimately land and whether the transfer may even originate from him.
The position as ADC at the EU top team G2 is actually occupied by Hans Sama, after Rekkles’ successor, the 21-year-old Spaniard Flakked, failed to lead G2 back to the top.
Maybe Upset will end up in the USA.
In any case, this is currently a strange situation that is hard to explain sports-wise: replacing a 22-year-old whom many consider the best bot laner in Europe with a 26-year-old who was actually already on his way to become a full-time streamer… Well, they must have their reasons.
At the moment, the situation – officially – is just a rumor, although transfer rumors in LoL from reputable sources have an extremely high hit rate.
On the sidelines of the Worlds, we had an exciting story about Fnatic:
