LEC 2026 – Fnatic: Breaking static with rookies (9/10)

Fnatic are coming out of the longest offseason in their LEC history. Usually magnets for big names and proven stars, they are once again exiting a 2025 season that looked a lot like the previous ones: still no title, but a Worlds qualification followed by an abrupt end to their year. In response, the club explored its options in depth and examined every single lane under the microscope. In the end, only two players from last year remain with the organization, seen as two of the strongest pieces of the roster: Iván "Razork" Martín and Elias "Upset" Lipp.

Alongside them, the Black and Orange have secured the most sought‑after midlane prospect in the league, Vladimiros "Vladi" Kourtidis. Rounding out the lineup are two rookies promoted from the ERL circuit: Panagiotis "Empyros" Tantis in the toplane and Park "Lospa" Joon‑hyeong to complete the botlane.Fabian "GrabbZ" Lohmann, still at the helm of an unchanged coaching staff heading into 2026, sat down with Sheep Esports to walk through their offseason and shed light on the many options of the club.

Right after Worlds, Fnatic embraced total openness with no sacred cows, as GrabbZ put it: "Every player was on the cutting board, basically, or on the investigation... We had to explore the market in very different ways, which also means that's why it took so long." Lacking the typical anchor player forced deep modeling of builds around multiple strong individuals: "How would this option look? How would it look if you built around this player?"

The 2025 roster "ran its course" not from personal clashes—"nobody had any issues with anybody"—but a mismatched drive where "too many people [were] comfortable waiting for Upset and Razork to make the calls and give their opinion." GrabbZ demanded unified pull: "It's really important to have players who pull in the same string and the same direction... I want strong voices in the team. I want people who come here and share their opinion and are passionate about their opinion."

Unlike rivals with quick signings, Fnatic chased premium targets tied to budgets and rivals, stretching talks indefinitely: "Some options were depending on other teams on financials that we sorted out... if you say option A is better, but you need the week to see if you can get the budget approved... Then option B, so you wait for the week." GrabbZ adds: "The options that we were looking for were not options that you can just instantly sign and be done with it... We basically had our ideas, scenarios, and we worked towards them and that process takes time."

Yoon "Poby" Sung-won's convincing Summer couldn't overcome his reserved style—"a typical very quiet Korean character"—yielding to Vladi for the leadership GrabbZ craved: "I wanted this arrogant confidence, this strong opinions in the team. And he has them. When people think player X could be hard to deal with, that's usually where I also have a good time."

Karmine Corp's management struggles prompted due diligence, but Vladi owned it upfront. According to the head coach, the midlaner had a very honest talk with him: "He said: 'I fucked up here and these were my mistakes and I could have done this better'. Which only for me shows a strength of character." And after a month of practice together, he only had kind words to share: "He's very passionate and he's very loud... but he's also very quick to dial back and agree that he made a mistake. So far, he is what I expected."

Razork's starting position has been confirmed despite rumors of frictions with Upset, as replacing consistent peaks proved impossible: "We're still talking about a very easily top three jungler in the league for a very long time. Even if I wanted to change Ivan no matter what, finding a replacement would have been hard."

GrabbZ diagnosed the issue: "The biggest issue was the whole dynamic between him and Upset. It always was a disagreement because they're the only ones talking." According to GrabbZ, it can be fixed with what he calls a vocal surroundings: "If we actually surround them with people who also have their own opinion, this clash doesn't happen. So far, they're both very happy with the new dynamic."

GIANTX's rejection of multiple Fnatic offers—including a six-figure bid and initial Razork trade talks—derailed the first Fnatic's option for the support position, Yoon "Jun" Se-jun, after weeks of negotiations signaling strong mutual interest. GrabbZ confirmed the impact without bitterness: "I just know what management told me. I assume Jun wanted to join because the negotiations went on for a long time. GIANTX had the right to decide not sell him." The late refusal stemmed from GIANTX prioritizing Worlds contention via Oh "Noah" Hyeon-taek-Jun continuity, avoiding bolstering a rival title threat.

This forced a rookie shift, accelerating Lospa's arrival. A choice made over Kim "Piero" Jung-hoon after careful POV reviews: "Lospa's game opener, how he opens the lanes, was a bit more developed. His English skill helps, how he reads the map and tries to impact the map in mid-game, I liked it more." Upset has been consulted despite himself being uncertain for a long time, and vetted the pick: "He was involved and fine with the decision." At 23, post-Gen.G Academy and GIANTX Pride success, Lospa brings upside despite Tier 1 newness: "We believe in Lospa's potential and growth. So far he's doing better than I thought." Jun's experience tempted, but Lospa fits more into the vocal rebuild.

Óscar "Oscarinin" Muñoz did improve in the areas the staff highlighted for him last summer, but not to the degree GrabbZ was fully satisfied with, especially when it came to consistency and communication. He felt the team had already seen "a good glimpse on what Oscar's ceiling is" and, while everyone remembers the KC series where he "completely smurfed," the inconsistency and strain on the team pushed Fnatic to look at other options. In the end, they chose Empyros over Francesco "Shelfmade" Cardia because, as GrabbZ explains, "Empyros was the stronger communicator. The way he played the game was a lot more involved in decision making," and he is "a bit more aggressive and wants to win the lanes a bit more," even talking back to veterans if he thinks they are wrong.

At AD Carry, Thomas "3XA" Foucou was the other serious candidate, but the staff ultimately decided to renew their trust in Upset. GrabbZ insists it was "more a decision for Upset and less a decision against him," emphasizing both their personal synergy and the player’s day‑to‑day commitment. Upset is "one of the hardest workers I've seen in a long time," someone with whom GrabbZ "vibes well. He is very German, very objective, very matter of fact" in how they argue and communicate. With Vladi and Empyros now sharing strong opinions on how to play, Upset can "think less about what the team should do and think more about what he should do," and, as GrabbZ hopes, no longer feel like "he is the main output in the team."

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

1. NAVI with Head Coach TheRock
2. SK Gaming with Head Coach OWN3R
3. Team Heretics with Head Coach Hidon
4. Movistar KOI with Head Coach Melzhet
5. Shifters with no one
6. Team Vitality with CEO Neo
7. Karmine Corp with Head of Esports Clément Laparra
8. GIANTX with esports director Lozark