cArn, Fnatic CGO: "I don’t currently see an academy as a 2026 project. It is more likely something for 2027"

Once the leading organization in European League of Legends, both competitively and in terms of popularity, have been caught up with by their rivals. The Black and Orange have not secured a title since the summer of 2018 — and therefore have never won the LEC — and have faced increasing competition from the rise of teams backed by prominent streamers. In an interview with Sheep Esports, Fnatic Chief Gaming Officer Patrik “cArn” Sättermon reflected on the overall state of the team’s LoL project and its future direction, notably mentioning the potential reopening of an academy team within the ERL ecosystem.

Patrik “cArn” Sättermon: “If I look at the Fnatic League division over the last few years, I think there are a few truths to acknowledge. Domestically, we have remained competitive and consistently been around the top end, but we have ultimately not managed to get over the line and convert that into the titles that matter. Internationally, our performances have not met the standard we expect of ourselves. Qualification is one thing, but we want to be making playoffs, meaningfully challenging the Eastern teams and giving our fans something to cheer about, and that has been few and far between.

And structurally, like every team in this ecosystem, we have had to adapt to a changing landscape and become more deliberate in how we build. We are constantly reviewing how we operate—be that in how we collaborate with coaching staff, how we scout upcoming talent, or how we set up for training every single day. It has been a turbulent few years for Fnatic League of Legends, and we’ve made a number of substantial changes in quick succession. That takes its toll on a division, but for me, the challenge now is not just to be competitive year to year but to build something more durable that can actually close that gap.

cArn: No, I would not say League has become less important to Fnatic—it remains a cornerstone of our competitive lineup. It is true that VALORANT has been a huge success story; we are one of the best-performing teams in the game’s history, and that strong performance brings both more opportunity and more demands on the organization. However, the changes we have made in League are not because another title is growing; they are more a reflection of how much the economics of the League and overall esports ecosystem have shifted in recent years. In practical terms, the challenge is to make smart decisions within that reality while still treating League as it deserves to be. If anything, there are also positive overlaps, because stronger shared infrastructure across titles, as we have in Berlin, can benefit our players and staff in both games over time.

cArn: Across the board, LEC is clearly more competitive today, both inside and outside of the server, and organizations like , , or even the recent Los Ratones project have done a fantastic job building strong community and energy around themselves. I think there is a lot for older organizations like us to learn from there. If I’m honest, due to my competitive background, I probably used to be a bit more of a purist when it came to esports—very focused on the sporting side, the competition, and what happens inside the game. I still am in many ways, but I’ve definitely come to see more clearly that if we want this industry to grow in a healthy way, competitive ambition alone is not enough. Fan connection, entertainment, and relevance to a younger generation matter too, and we need to keep evolving in these spaces in a way that feels authentic to Fnatic.

cArn: My vision for Fnatic has always been that we should be a truly global organization and brand. That feels natural to me because esports itself is borderless. So rather than trying to force a narrow regional identity, I think Fnatic should keep aiming to support and represent esports wherever it is played while telling stories and building teams that can connect with fans across different geographies.

cArn: We owe an awful lot to the loyal fans who have been on the journey with us for the past two decades, whenever it is that they came on board, because they built Fnatic into the global name it is today. But of course, we have to be constantly looking at how we grow that fanbase as well. From my side, the biggest thing I can contribute to that is by helping stabilize performance and building a team that can credibly compete for trophies again, because that will always be the foundation of Fnatic. Alongside that, I also think we can do more to bring people closer to the journey—to show more of the human side, the work, and the stories behind the scenes. We have players and staff worth caring about, and we should be better at showcasing that.

cArn: Realistically, I don’t currently see an academy as a 2026 project. It is more likely something for 2027, because we want to do it in the right way. But strategically, I do think it is important. When you are investing in younger or less proven talent, having a stronger development environment around the pro team makes a lot of sense and reduces some of the risk that naturally comes with that model. Recruitment is always going to be an essential part of building a winning roster. I discussed this in a recent fan Q&A, which led to some rather unfortunate out-of-context quotes, and whilst I don’t think we’ve always gotten it right, we do have a very strong track record of nurturing star talent across many of the titles we compete in, so it would be fantastic to double down on the number of teams we field in core titles, including LoL. Combining this record with some of the advanced scouting infrastructure we have developed over recent years makes an academy an exciting prospect, and I’m looking forward to being able to start work on it.

cArn: We are open-minded on the structure. The main thing for us would be to put academy players in the best possible environment to grow, which means a strong competitive level, good day-to-day development, and the right people around them. That could be through a model where we remain in direct control, or it could be through the right partnership. There are a lot of great team operators throughout the current ERL ecosystem that we would love to work with, so we’re keeping an open mind. Ultimately, the exact league or region would matter less than the quality of the environment and the opportunity it gives players to progress.

cArn: In the short term, the biggest challenge is to stabilize the team’s performance and get it to a much more cohesive level than we have shown so far this year. In the medium term, the challenge is bigger than one split—it is about establishing the player and coaching foundation that can carry Fnatic forward over the next few years. For me, that is really the key question in 2026: not just how we recover now, but what we are building towards for long-term success—and I think the next few months will be very telling for what exact direction we take.”