With a 7-2 record securing them a spot near the top of the standings, Fnatic are now setting their sights on the League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC) Spring Playoffs after victories over BDS and Heretics last weekend. Determined to finally break their curse and claim their first regional title in nearly seven years, Elias "Upset" Lipp and his team are focused on maintaining their momentum. In an exclusive interview with Sheep Esports, the AD Carry reflects on his experience in Madrid, reaching his peak, and restoring faith in the team's fans.

It’s been a hectic week for you—between the blackouts in Madrid and returning to Berlin late, with only two days of scrims. Can you walk us through everything that happened and how it affected your preparation?

Elias "Upset" Lipp: "Basically, we went to the event. Everything was great, except maybe for the backdoor against Movistar KOI that did not work out in our favor, but regardless, we had a really good time. We beat G2, so it ended up pretty fine for us.

Then we had the blackout in the whole of Spain on the day we were supposed to fly back. The whole day, no electricity, so we couldn't book our flight back to Berlin. The next day, the moment we got internet, we tried again, but there were problems with the organizers getting us the tickets in time—maybe it was difficult logistics-wise, I’m not sure exactly what went down behind the scenes.

I know Fnatic did everything they could, but something didn’t work out, so we couldn’t fly back the next day either. That meant another day in Madrid. And then the only solution that was found was that we would fly to the Czech Republic—to Prague—and then take a train to Berlin. So we had to wake up at 6:00am, fly to Prague, and then take like a 4-hour train to Berlin.

So that was like 12 hours of travel, even though it should’ve been like a 3-hour flight, right? But well, we were still very lucky. A lot of people were affected in much, much worse ways, obviously. I’m grateful we made it safe and sound, and our manager Geomancy (Anisah Munim) did a really good job making the best out of this mess.

What that meant for us was just that our practice was obviously heavily impacted. People were maybe still a bit drunk from Madrid let's say. We only had two days to prepare, so it was not great. Obviously, we were tired because we had just traveled a lot—and traveling 12 hours in one day and then playing right afterward can be exhausting. We didn't really get any off-day. It probably showed in our games against BDS. There was a lot less discipline than usual.

But well, it's all good in the end. Fans deserve to get some of these "more entertaining games" sometimes too. It would be boring if we just played every game the most cleanly possible. It was a little more stressful for me today, but it's good to have some close back-and-forth games and have to clutch it out. It was for sure fun to play and an experience that'll help us be a stronger team.

You now have a full week to rest, scrim, and prepare for playoffs. You placed third in winter, which was a solid result, but probably not what you were ultimately aiming for. Since you’ve yet to win an LEC title, are you hoping this upcoming playoffs could finally be the one where you lift your first trophy?

Upset: Obviously I’m feeling confident. I think we’re doing pretty well—we’ve been improving. Obviously, this week was not optimal in terms of our form, but I’m feeling pretty good about the team. I don’t want to jinx it. Fnatic has been jinxed enough already, so I for sure won’t make a quote that’ll jinx us even more. But yeah, I'm not gonna lie, I’m feeling pretty good right now about playoffs. We beat G2 and KC in the best-of-threes—that’s a good sign.

Obviously, playoffs are gonna be different since it's best-of-five, but showing that we can do it is important. We have a winning record against most of the top teams in the league. Scrims are pretty close too, so there’s no reason to be down on ourselves. The only thing we need to do is really lock in for playoffs, do our job every day, put in all the effort we can—and there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be able to win, right?

Do you believe you're at your peak level career-wise? If not, how far from it do you believe yourself to be?

Upset: Comparing to what I believe to have been my peak form—which I think was probably during 2021 and 2022—I'd say Mikyx and I are pretty competitive with that version. I'd love to see a matchup like that, playing against myself and peak Hylissang going against Mikyx would be pretty fun. As I said, I'm feeling confident right now, I'm feeling very good about my play. I'm obviously always looking to improve things, but I don't feel like I couldn't compete with my past selves or that I'm past my prime in any way. I'll reach new heights this year for sure.

Where do you see yourself ranked among the league’s botlanes? Do you think you’ll be able to face off against Caliste "Caliste" Henry-Hennebert and Karmine Corp and maybe get some revenge this time, especially given your history with the team?

Upset: Mikyx and I are playing like the LEC's botlane this split, in my opinion. We've beaten G2 and Karmine Corp, so I think it's pretty fair to say that. What’s going to happen in playoffs is still to be seen, but I’m looking forward to it. No need to be too cocky right now—the most important part is still ahead of us.

Fnatic fans have been prone to trust issues over the years. The fans are not content with some high placements, they want a title again. Do you believe this roster will be the one to restore that faith and grandeur to the organization?

Upset: Obviously, I want the fans to believe in Fnatic, of course, and I’ll do everything I can to restore that faith. I don't feel like I'm battling against any kind of demons and fearing curses. I’m going to do my best every day, and on match day too. I don’t feel like I have issues performing under pressure, as was seen in Madrid. Maybe it's a bit more difficult for Oscarinin (Óscar Muñoz Jiménez) and Razork (Iván Martín Díaz) since they've been part of all these past Fnatic lineups where things often fell apart by the end of playoffs. We'll see, right? I'm confident, and I will make sure the fans have something to be happy about.

Do you have anything you’d like to say to the fans before we wrap up?

Upset: Yeah, of course—thank you for supporting us. I see a lot of love for the Fnatic players, me included, and I really appreciate it. You guys are great. Even though there hasn’t been a title since 2018—which was also thanks to me, by the way. You’re welcome, guys. It could always be worse, right? You could be a Rogue fan or something. At least we’re still doing pretty well overall in the league. And I’m going to do my very best to deliver what’s required this year."