Legends of the League: Rekkles

Martin “Rekkles” Larsson is a name that carries a big reputation in the League of Legends scene, and for good reason. Known by some as “The King in the North,” his career has seen him prove his worth across the globe with amazing performances during his time in the LEC and even a brief, but impactful run in the LCK Challengers League. His rise to fame has inspired millions of players worldwide, but his journey has been anything but smooth. From dominant runs to unexpected setbacks–and even a dramatic role swap–Rekkles has remained an era-defining figure in the League of Legends scene.

Like many other professional players we know today, Rekkles started his career playing for a couple of smaller teams that competed primarily in regional tournaments: Playing Ducks and Team BLACK. He quickly established a name for himself in the regional competitive scene before being recruited as the new Attack Damage Carry for Fnatic in the latter part of 2012. He was just over 16 years old when he was signed.

Rekkles’ young age did not serve him well when Fnatic made it to the 2013 EU LCS Series. Due to an age restriction requiring players to be at least 17 years old to play, tournament organizers barred him from participating. Fnatic formed a new academy team around him to help bridge the gap until he was old enough for the main roster. He would return as Fnatic’s starting bot laner in late 2013, after meeting the age requirement for full tournament eligibility.

The first Split with Rekkles on Fnatic’s starting roster laid a solid foundation for the soon-to-be career-defining relationship between him and the organization. The player earned an impressive amount of awards during his debut Split as the Fnatic AD Carry, winning MVP of the Week during the first week of the Spring 2014 LCS Split. People noticed his mechanics and consistency right from the start, earning him a reputation as one of the EU scene’s promising new talents despite some feeling he played too passively. Fnatic finished the EU LCS Spring 2014 Split in 1st place following a 3-1 victory against SK Gaming.

Fnatic entered the rest of 2014 with high expectations. They ended up placing 2nd in the Summer Split, just behind Alliance. Worlds 2014 proved to be challenging though, and the team failed to make it out of groups after just two wins. After a year, Rekkles departed Fnatic. He became the newly-signed AD Carry for Alliance, where he stayed for just under six months as the team went through a rebrand to Elements, before returning to Fnatic again.

Fnatic’s momentum was on the rise at the start of 2015, with a newly formed team finishing 13-5 in the regular season, pulling in a victory for the EU LCS Spring Split 2015. Rekkles joined up just after MSI, leading into Fnatic’s insane 18-0 summer run, pushing them to Worlds 2015 where the team had one of their best international performances. The team made it to semifinals where they lost to KOO (later ROX) Tigers 0-3.

Rekkles remained with his team, staying with Fnatic through the highs and lows of the 2016 season, finishing 3rd in Spring 2016 before falling in the Summer Split to a 9-9 record. The era of Fnatic dominance had subsided. They did not qualify to Worlds 2016 after losing their regional qualifier slot to Unicorns of Love. Rekkles’ performance stayed strong as an individual, but overarching synergy issues within the team led to a very stressful split.

As time went on, Rekkles assumed a more leadership-oriented mentality on the team. His mechanics and positioning remained sharp, but the team could not find consistent success. Roster changes came and went over the next couple of seasons, leading to multiple appearances in playoffs, but the weight of the 2016 season affected the organization’s momentum.

On Fnatic, Rekkles experienced six more years of top-level European ADC gameplay. His highlight year there came in 2018, when, paired with Zdravets "Hylissang" Galabov as his support, the Fnatic duo made it all the way to World Finals, before losing in a tough 0-3 to FunPlus Phoenix. After his years at Fnatic ended, Rekkles set off for a new chapter of his career with G2.

With Rekkles on board, G2 was on track to build out a well-rounded team. Pairing Rekkles’ consistent mechanics with G2’s aggressive playstyle seemed like a perfect fit, but time would tell another story. The team fell short in the Spring 2021 Split, landing 3rd after a 1-3 loss to Rogue. G2 got back into the swing of things in the Summer Split but ultimately missed out on competing in Worlds 2021. Rekkles joined Karmine Corp, a team in the LFL, where he managed to win EU Masters 2022, and then after a turbulent summer split, returned back home to Fnatic.

The return was not the smash hit many people had been expecting, with a 9th place finish in the LEC Winter 2023 Split, and closing out in 6th during the regular Spring Season. Shortly after, Rekkles swapped roles to Support–his current position–but did not play as the starting support for the team. The team announced his departure in October 2023 before T1 officially shared he would join their Academy roster.

The next chapter in Rekkles’ journey led him to a season on the T1 Academy team, which proved challenging, and the team started the LCK CL Spring 2024 season with several heartbreaking 1-2 losses. The Academy roster proved itself, coming in 4th place at the Asia Star Challengers Invitational 2024. Shortly after, it was reported that Rekkles would serve as a Support substitute on T1’s main roster, who would go on to win Worlds 2024.

Rekkles has made his return to Europe, joining the recently formed NLC team, Los Ratones. The team was founded by Caedrel, and focuses on a content-forward approach towards competitive League of Legends. Los Ratones has been often referred to as a “streaming team” for its roster of content creators and LEC staples. The team has done great things in its short time since its establishment, cleanly pulling a 3-0 victory against Nord Esports, sending them to the EMEA Masters Winter 2025 tournament, which they won in yet another crushing 3-0 victory, beating out Ici Japon Corp for the Championship Title.

Rekkles’ career has survived amazing highs and crushing lows, spanning smaller leagues and the biggest international stages. His time at Fnatic helped made him a household name in the EU scene and abroad, thanks to strong performances on the international stage. His commitment to growth and leadership has shown through people’s perception of him between teams and across borders, most notably his time in Korea. Through every triumph and setback, he has proven time and time again that true legends aren’t just defined by their peaks, but by their ability to rise again.