Sources: Upset returns to Fnatic in the LEC

Fnatic are adding a new chapter to their history of AD Carry comebacks. After repatriating Martin “Rekkles” Larsson twice in its history, the British club will now bring back Elias “Upset” Lipp for the upcoming LEC season, according to Sheep Esports sources. Lee "Hans SamD" Jae-hoon —who eventually joined Ici Japon Corp in the LFL— was the other option for Fnatic. Upset and Rekkles share an intertwined destiny: in 2019, Upset humorously claimed to be the “new Rekkles, just more handsome and less passive in lane.” He replaced the Swedish star at Fnatic in 2021, only to be replaced BY Rekkles two years later on the Orange and Black roster.

Both men have been among the best ADCs—if not the best—in the LEC at their peak. They are also known for their remarkable consistency, particularly during their time with Fnatic, where they served as pillars of stability in rosters with fluctuating performances. However, one key difference sets them apart: while Rekkles accumulated four titles during Fnatic's golden era, Upset has yet to win a single trophy.

Upset's best achievement came with Fnatic when they reached the Summer Split 2021 final, lost to MAD Lions. He was supposed to experience Worlds that year, but personal issues forced him to withdraw at the last minute. As a result, he had to wait another year, during which Fnatic finished third twice in the LEC. His lone Worlds appearance in 2022 saw him fall short, failing to advance past the group stage.

Unexpectedly replaced by Rekkles for the 2023 season, Upset didn’t secure a new project during the Winter Split—an oddity given his continued ranking among the top ADCs. He quickly rebounded, joining Vitality for the Spring Split. At the time, Vitality had built an all-star roster around their Chinese jungler Yangbo “Bo” Zhou. Although the Spring Split regular season showed promising signs, the playoffs were disastrous, followed by a catastrophic Summer that saw the team finish in last place.

However, Upset had made a rather good impression on this team in distress, plagued by Bo's glaringly poor performance. Upset and Bo continued their journey together in 2024 with Karmine Corp but under unique circumstances. Upset knew from the start that his place on the roster was only due to a rule change by Riot Games, which prevented the promotion of prodigy Caliste “Caliste” Henry-Hennebert, then a minor, from the LFL team to the LEC team.

Now that Caliste has come of age, he has claimed his expected spot on the LEC roster. This leaves Upset back on the market after a rather mixed final year with the Blue Wall. Karmine Corp had a disastrous first two splits (finishing 10th), but rebounded in the Summer Split, eventually placing 4th. Individually, however, Upset didn’t particularly stand out, often failing to fill the carry role that was expected of him. According to Sheep Stats, he ranked as only the 8th best ADC in the league for the entire year, with a score of 61/100. This puts him six places behind the player he's replacing at Fnatic, Oh “Noah” Hyeon-taek, who is rated 2nd with a score of 68/100.

Since Upset departed from Fnatic at the end of 2022, the team has struggled to find success. The start of 2023 was disastrous, but Noah's arrival in the Spring helped the team regain its footing, even leading to a miraculous qualification for Worlds. In 2024, Fnatic remained in the shadow of G2 Esports, with Tomáš “Nightshare” Kněžínek’s squad losing three finals to the Samurai (Spring Split, Summer Split, and Season Finals). Moreover, Noah consistently fell short in key moments in the LEC and international stage. Upset's task now will be to help the team finally break through its glass ceiling.

Top: Óscar "Oscarinin" Muñoz
Jungle: Iván "Razork" Martín
Mid: Marek "Humanoid" Brázda
ADC: Elias "Upset" Lipp
Support: ?