Fnatic’s 2025 offseason was nothing short of chaotic — arguably the most turbulent and complex in the entire LEC. After a 2025 season whose only highlight was securing another Worlds qualification thanks to a crucial Summer Playoffs win over Karmine Corp, it was clear that the roster needed a shake-up. Both head coach Fabian “GrabbZ” Lohmann and toplaner Óscar “Oscarinin” Muñoz frequently underlined that sentiment throughout the year: "The roster needs to be changed up. It's clearly not working out. I cannot believe we are this boosted".

So, Fnatic got to work. The club entered the offseason exploring changes across every single position, with one major obstacle to navigate: every player except Elias “Upset” Lipp was still under contract until 2026. Despite that constraint, the organization began its rebuild with countless potential directions to take. Their first decision was to retain GrabbZ as head coach for 2026 — a show of faith after a year marked by internal struggles, benchings, and a disappointing Worlds performance.

Vladi's domino effect

Fnatic would end up being the last LEC team to finalize its roster this offseason, largely due to a long and complicated midlane situation. The team first lost Mihael “Mikyx” Mehle, who joined SK Gaming as the centerpiece of their new project — a move that notably did not require SK to pay any buyout fee to Fnatic.

Although Fnatic had already promoted Yoon "Poby" Sung-won to replace Marek "Humanoid" Brázda during the 2025 Summer Split, they quickly targeted Vladimiros "Vladi" Kourtidis early in the offseason, around mid-October. They were one of five teams chasing the midlaner, leading to a lengthy negotiation process. Eventually, Fnatic won the race, paying Karmine Corp a six-figure buyout fee to secure the transfer.

Per sources, Fnatic also held a call with midlaner Seo "SlowQ" Ye-bit, in case the negotiations for Vladi fell through. That signing effectively displaced Poby, who found a late destination at Natus Vincere toward the end of the offseason.

The jungle and support shuffle

While Fnatic waited for Vladi’s decision, their long-time jungler Iván “Razork” Martín found himself in the middle of the transfer storm after four years with the team. Fnatic explored several options to offload part of their budget by moving him and entered talks with Natus Vincere (for Enes “Rhilech” Uçan), Team Heretics, and GIANTX. None of those discussions came to fruition — NAVI declined to trade, Razork turned down Heretics’ offer, and talks with GIANTX eventually stalled.

In the meantime, Fnatic tested the waters for potential replacements such as Johnny "Yukino" Dang and Théo "Sheo" Borile, and even attempted an unsuccessful buyout for Yoon "Jun" Se-jun from GIANTX. Those failed negotiations pushed Fnatic to lock in the support position instead, signing Park “Lospa” Joon-hyeong over Kim "Piero" Jung-hun after interest from both SK and GIANTX. Lospa had also been pursued by several ERL organizations, including Los Heretics and Solary.

The roster picture finally stabilized when Vladi chose Fnatic, motivated by the opportunity to play alongside Razork. That decision effectively kept Razork in the team’s 2026 plans and gave shape to Fnatic’s new core.

Toplane and botlane decisions

The Black and Orange first showed interest in toplaner Shin "Rooster" Yun-hwan, but Team BDS declined any chance of trade or buyout. Then, the team’s toplane choice came after a tight internal debate between Panagiotis "Empyros" Tantis, Oscarinin, and Francesco "Shelfmade" Cardia, as Fnatic weighed proven LEC experience against long-term potential.

After a strong year with Gentle Mates in the LFL — earning two third-place finishes and an EMEA Masters quarterfinal appearance — Empyros emerged as the favorite. His steady improvement and consistency across ERL competition convinced Fnatic’s staff to hand him the starting spot. He had also drawn interest from other teams, such as Natus Vincere, who ultimately signed Volodymyr "Maynter" Sorokin instead.

At the other end of the map, the organization opted for continuity and leadership. Fnatic extended Upset’s contract, keeping one of Europe’s most experienced ADCs. His renewal coincided with Lospa’s arrival, forming an entirely new botlane duo. The team reportedly considered French ADC Thomas "3XA" Foucou before finalizing Upset’s extension — a move that provides veteran stability within an otherwise youthful and experimental lineup.

Fnatic's reported roster for 2026:

For more roster changes, check out ourTransfers Hub and Offseason Live Tracker.