Disaster has been averted for
Fnatic. Despite ending Week 4 with back-to-back losses, the boys in black and orange managed to secure the final
2026 League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC) Versus playoff spot, thanks to their results in previous weeks. They
advanced over Los Ratones and Shifters due to tiebreaker rules, even though the teams finished with identical scores. In an exclusive interview, support
Park "Lospa" Joon-hyeong sat down with
Sheep Esports to discuss the team’s challenging past few days, his hopes for 2026, and the areas that still need improvement.
What do you think went wrong in the match against G2 today?
Park "Lospa" Joon-hyeong: "The laning phase was fine until level 3, but we kind of ruined our game in the second blue fight. That fight was really hard for us. After that, we should have opened through mid, because we needed mid push and then to move to the side for vision. But instead, we always kind of open through side first. That’s our biggest problem right now, so we need to fix it for playoffs.
Fnatic barely made playoffs in eighth place after a difficult group stage. Why do you think the team has been struggling?
Lospa: We have very talented players on our roster, but we kind of have a problem with communication. We’re still working on it. Personally, I need to work on mid-game and late-game macro with waves. I need to fix that somehow.
Fnatic is a historic organization with high expectations. As a first-year Tier 1 player, have you felt any pressure joining the team?
Lospa: This spot used to be filled by Mikyx (Mihael Mehle) and Jun (Yoon Se-jun), two of the best supports in the LEC. To be honest, I have some pressure, but when I go on stage, I don’t feel any of it. I just want to enjoy the moment and prove myself.
Does this first year in the LEC and Tier 1 mean something special to you?
Lospa: I wouldn’t say it’s special, but it’s important for me. This year is the biggest chance of my life. I really want to prove myself. I know a lot of people have doubts about me. I still need to work and prove myself.
How has your journey to the LEC been? Was it difficult to go pro, and did your family support you along the way?
Lospa: In the beginning, it was really hard because of Korean culture. Parents don’t really like their son or daughter playing computer games every single day. But after some time, they allowed me to play. So I’m very happy now, and they’re supporting me.
You weren’t sure you’d make playoffs until late in the day. How was the mood backstage, and how did it evolve with all those possible scenarios?
Lospa: There were a lot of scenarios for our playoffs chances, but to be honest, I didn’t want to think about it. It bothered and annoyed me a lot. I just wanted to focus on my game and play well.
Did you and your teammates talk about the different playoff scenarios, or did you avoid the topic?
Lospa: Only Vladi (Vladimiros Kourtidis) was focusing on every single LEC match today. The rest of the teammates were just playing solo queue.
Any thoughts on Los Ratones being eliminated today?
Lospa: I’m actually a big fan of Los Ratones. I really wanted them to make playoffs, so I wanted to win today, but we performed really badly. I’m sorry for them. It’s just sad.
Now that Fnatic is in playoffs with best-of-threes, how do you think the team will perform in this different format, especially with Fearless?
Lospa: I can’t say anything for now, but I’m pretty sure we’ll work as hard as we can next week. I hope we can win in playoffs and finish higher than 8th place.
How has it been working with Elias "Upset" Lipp?
Lospa: He’s a really good person and also a good teacher for me. I always learn from him. I need to work more to reach the same level as Upset. Every game, if there’s trouble in bot lane, it’s always 100% my fault. I just want to play better. If I improve, I think I can become one of the best supports in the LEC alongside Upset.
How’s your relationship with your teammates outside of the game?
Lospa: Our relationship is insane, to be honest, because I can speak English pretty well. Outside of the game, we’re pretty chill and hang out together. Even on off days, we just spend our time playing something or going out to eat dinners like this.
Speaking of your English, I heard you lived in America for some time. Is that true?
Lospa: Yes, I lived in Miami, Florida. I went there for elementary school for a year and a half, then returned to Korea.
What do you think the mood will be like next week before playoffs for Fnatic?
Lospa: I think we should be open-minded and take more feedback from our coaches. We need to be more serious with ourselves and push harder than we have been.
How has it been working with your coaches? How are they helping you improve?
Lospa: GrabbZ (Fabian Lohmann) always tells me that he trusts me and to just play with confidence on stage. He really helps me a lot.
And especially Gaax (Pablo Vegas Pérez)—he was a support player too, so he knows more than me. I’m learning a lot from him.
What do you hope to achieve by the end of your career?
Lospa: For this year, I really want to win at least one title. I know it’s going to be hard, but if we improve a lot, I think it’s possible. I know right now it’s not the best condition to say this, but I trust my teammates. They’re very talented players.
I just want to focus on this year. I don’t want to think too far ahead for now.
Is there anything you want to say to Fnatic fans?
Lospa: I know we’ve been having a hard time recently, but I promise we’re going to work harder, and I’m going to play better. Just trust us, and thank you for supporting us every single time."
