Fnatic welcome back Rekkles as Upset is stuck on the sidelines

The off-season in competitive League of Legends is in full swing, with most teams reaching verbal agreements before the November 15 deadline. That’s the date when most contracts in esports expire and teams can officially approach their targets without fear of tempering. But those that have been allowed to explore options before this deadline, have already found a new home.

Rekkless re-joins Fnatic, again

And just like that after two years, we have done a full circle. 24 months ago, Rekkles and Hyliesang were smashing World Champion Jackeylove and TES in the quarterfinals at the 2020 World Championship. The heartbreaking reverse sweep that followed suit, sent the Swedish bot laner packing. G2 Esports seemed like the perfect storm heading into 2021. Apart from the star-studded roster, G2 and Rekkles were some of the biggest esports brands in Europe.

 A profitable Ralph Lauren collaboration and two disappointing splits later, Rekkless was on the move once again. The G2 super team had just failed to qualify for the World Championship, which was unacceptable in the eyes of former CEO Carlos Ocelote Rodriguez. 

LFL powerhouse Karmine Corp was the next stop for Martin, helping the team win the 2022 Spring EU Masters circuit. But expectations were much higher, so Rekkles found himself on the chopping block once again. Until Fnatic came knocking for the third time and Rekkles responded in true MJ-esque fashion.

Upset, Hillysang and coach Yamato leave Fnatic

Following a 1-5 record at the 2022 World Championship, changes at Fnatic were imminent. Support Hylissang broke the record for most deaths by playing half the games of the next “best”, with some abysmal performances on the biggest stage.

It seems Fnatic have finally taken off the rose-tinted glasses, and are replacing him with substitute support Rhuckz. Rhuckz got promoted from the academy team as an emergency substitute after both Upset and Hylissang contracted Covid days before the competition kicked off. Fnatic won both games with Rhuckz in the lineup but decided to continue with Hylissang after he got cleared to play.

But the question on everyone’s mind right now is, what’s happening with Upset? In terms of talent and recent performance, replacing him with Rekkles is a downgrade at best. Sources say that both Fnatic and Upset have agreed to part ways moving forward, but his buyout has prevented a deal so far. Per reports, a contract trade between Fnatic and Vitality was in the works, before the Carzzy deal was completed. This cemented Upset’s near future, as he will be under contract but no playing at the start of the 2023 season. 

As for the deal that sent Carzzy back to the MAD Lions and support Kaiser to Vitality, it created an opening in the support role in Madrid. Sources say that Hylissang has agree to a deal with MAD Lions to become their new starting support. But the roster changes for Fnatic don’t stop there. After promoting support Rhuckz from the academy roster, it seems head coach Gonçalo “Crusher” Pinto is next in line. This comes just hours after substitute ADC Bean has also been resigned. The move also means that coach Jakob “YamatoCannon” Mebdi is available, as he is exploring his options across multiple regions.

How we got here

The last time Rekkles came back, Fnatic went 18-0. But what happens to the rest of the roster this time around? Heading into the World Championship, Fnatic had one of the best bot lanes in the region. But in the two years, this roster has been fielded, disappointments have been plenty and afar. The team never looked in sync apart from the last three weeks of the 2022 LEC Summer Split. And their international performances had been shrouded in more controversy than results. If Sam Mathews and FNC management thought about selling jerseys than winning games, this makes sense.

With a projected lineup consisting of the same top side of the map, the team looks to be more than fringe contenders. Despite disappointing performances throughout 2022, the ceiling the previous Fnatic roster had was hard to match.

Upset is the latest victim of predatory contract clauses

And just like that, one of the best bot laners in Europe won’t be competing to start the 2023 season. We saw this happen last year with Rekkles and Mikyx after the G2 super team collapsed and the Perkz situation a year prior. Even Jankos might be in the same boat. But as much as fans would love to trash G2 for their approach, it seems they are not the only ones. With buyout clauses that reach seven figures, most of the star players are forced to quit playing until their team releases them.

So much so, that Rekkles is the most recent example of these predatory policies. CEO of Karmine Corp, Kamel “Kameto” Kebir, talked about his perspective of the entire situation on his stream. The team decided to lift the buyout clause on Rekkles’s contract, making him a free agent and enabling him to sign with Fnatic.

Instead of focusing on profits, he mentioned that the practice is not fair to adolescents risking their futures for this. He mentioned that many of them have short careers in esports, for which they have sacrificed their education, youth, and time. In an industry where nothing is guaranteed, robbing players of their opportunities seems like an evil thing to do. Luckily, not all organizations value profit above all else, as KC and Team Liquid have released Rekkles and Hans Sama for free.

Header: Twitter/ RekklesLoL