Sources: Inside Fnatic’s Offseason — Poby’s new contract, Toplane recap, and Dardo’s role change

Fnatic is inarguably one of the most storied organizations in the LEC, with seven LEC titles and the first Worlds trophy ever under its belt. In Summer 2015, Fnatic achieved a the legendary perfect 18–0 split. However, for the last seven years, the team has failed to lift a single LEC trophy. In the 2025 Spring Split, Fnatic finished fourth—an underwhelming result that frustrated many fans, especially given the strength of the roster on paper and the high expectations that came with it.

Following their elimination, Fnatic Head Coach Fabian "GrabbZ" Lohmann stated on stream that the organization would explore roster changes during the offseason, adding that only the bot lane was considered safe. This aligns with information previously shared by sources with Sheep Esports, as Fnatic began evaluating a variety of player profiles across Europe and South Korea.

For fans, the offseason has felt long, with many anticipating changes. Given the questions surrounding the team’s future, this report aims to bring further context to Fnatic’s offseason decisions.

Throughout the offseason, Fnatic explored a number of midlaners, including players like Adam "LIDER" Ilyasov (Free Agent) and Šimon "OMON" Řiháček (BK ROG Esports) — though not all candidates were pursued equally. Casting a wide net is standard practice when making strategic roster changes.

While Fnatic considered multiple ERL players, they also looked to the LCK Challengers League — South Korea’s second division. One profile that stood out was Yoo "Zinie" Baek-jin (KT Challengers), a player multiple LEC teams were interested in last October—but whose sale was ultimately denied by KT. Instead, Fnatic focused their attention on Yoon "Poby" Sung-won (T1 Esports Academy), another young midlaner from the same league.

After extended discussions, Fnatic reached an agreement with T1 to acquire Poby from their academy roster. The move involves Fnatic paying a buyout to T1. Sheep Esports first reported on this deal in June, and the transfer has since been finalized. The new midlaner is expected to arrive in Berlin this week with an announcement soon to follow. Furthermore, sources tell Sheep Esports, Poby didn't just sign with Fnatic for the remainder of 2025, but for the entire 2026 season.

With this change, Midlaner Marek "Humanoid" Brázda will sit on the bench for the upcoming Summer Split. His contract with the organization is set to expire in November 2025.

As reported by Sheep Esports on Wednesday, Óscar "Oscarinin" Muñoz Jiménez will remain with Fnatic for the Summer Split. However, the organization did explore alternatives, including Volodymyr "Maynter" Sorokin (Karmine Corp Blue) and Baek "Mihile" Sang-hwi (Misa Esports). In Korea, Fnatic showed interest in Toplaner Shin "Rooster" Yun-hwan (HLE Challengers), who ultimately joined Team BDS.

However, the most noteworthy option was a potential return of Martin "Wunder" Nordahl Hansen. Fnatic even offered him to share the toplane role with Oscarinin— a proposal Wunder declined. As a reminder, Wunder last played for Fnatic during the 2023 Season Finals, stepping in when Oscarinin was sidelined with a hand injury.

In 2018, when Fnatic reached the Worlds Championship final, the team already operated with a shared toplane setup. At the time, Paul "sOAZ" Boyer and Gabriël "Bwipo" Rau both shared the position. Initially, Bwipo subbed in due to a hand injury sustained by sOAZ—yes, a hand injury as well. By the following year in 2019, Bwipo had become the team’s sole starting toplaner.

When it comes to offseason decisions, fans often wonder who makes the calls. Former Team Director Javier "Dardo" Zafra de Jáudenes had long been the public face of Fnatic’s roster management, but he announced stepping down from his role last year. In his letter to fans, Dardo wrote: “After taking a sabbatical to recharge, I will transition into a different role within Fnatic.”

This statement appears to reflect reality. According to sources, Dardo has indeed returned to Fnatic, but his new position does not involve him in League of Legends roster decisions. Those responsibilities now fall to Fnatic’s CGO Patrik "cArn" Sättermon and the coaching staff. However, due to his longstanding relationships, Dardo has played a role during the offseason — handling communications with players, teams, and agents. This has fueled speculation about his return, even though his responsibilities have shifted.

Given Fnatic's historic tenure in the league, expectations around the team remain high — but in recent years, those expectations haven’t been fully met. Still, third- and fourth-place finishes are results many LEC teams would envy. Back when Fnatic lifted trophies, the organization often took chances on emerging talents like Fabian "FEBIVEN" Diepstraten and Rasmus "Caps" Winther, who had no prior LEC experience before joining the team.

In 2025, Fnatic opted for a different approach. As one of the higher spenders on active player salaries during the Winter Split, the team built a roster centered around veteran talent — a choice that naturally raised expectations. Yet perhaps Fnatic is now at a crossroads, where it must begin thinking about its next generation. Interestingly, the arrival of experienced players like Elias "Upset" Lipp and Mihael "Mikyx" Mehle might actually support that transition: the botlane duo has been among the best in the league, offering a strong and stable foundation for future changes.

Fnatic will need to keep reevaluating its long-term strategy if it hopes to reclaim the top spot. This Summer Split may offer a glimpse of whether the team is moving in the right direction — and whether 19-year-old Poby could become a cornerstone of its next chapter.

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EDIT: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Jun joined Fnatic from the LCK Challengers League. This has been corrected.