Fnatic prepares for major “clean slate” rebuild ahead of 2027 LEC season

The 2026 League of Legends esports season has been Fnatic’s “worst year” in history, as admitted by the organization, with Chief Gaming Officer Patrik “cArn” Sättermon discussing the reasons behind it and the team’s future plans during an X (formerly Twitter) Space hosted on September 21. "Disappointing will be the first word that comes to my brain. Reflective is the second one that follows off that very shortly," he stated.

The team finished the 2026 LEC Summer Split with a 3-6 record, failed to qualify for the playoffs, and ultimately missed the League of Legends World Championship for the first time since 2016. As a result, Fnatic are now preparing for a complete overhaul ahead of the 2027 season, with changes not restricted to just the active roster or coaching staff. cArn announced that the organization needs to undergo a “very, very honest self-reflection” before deciding how it will approach 2027.

According to cArn, one of the issues Fnatic identified was the lack of balance between individual talent, player synergy, and the team’s overall composition. He acknowledged that the organization has historically emphasized identifying talented individual players; however, moving forward, it needs to focus on how those players complement one another as well.

The CGO also explained that Fnatic may have taken too many risks when constructing its 2026 roster and became too focused on solving short-term problems. "I am confident in my ability to assess players and their individual abilities. But I think a massive change is required for us to build more long-term sustainable teams," he said.

The organization also agreed that it couldn’t provide enough support to its players, especially considering that it entered the season with two LEC rookies, Panagiotis "Empyros" Tantis and Park "Lospa" Joon-hyeong. As a result, Fnatic is now looking not only at its coaching staff but also at its wider performance structure, including mental and physical preparation, technology, and how players are supported.

Heading into the offseason, one of the most important changes Fnatic will undergo is the recruitment of a new League of Legends general manager, which is aimed at providing the division with dedicated leadership. Although cArn has been handling the department for a while now, he admitted that his wider responsibilities within Fnatic make it difficult for him to provide the level of day-to-day attention the team requires.

"It's not enough for our coaches. It's not enough for players to have someone like myself doing that," he stated. The recruitment process has already begun, with the organization expecting to onboard the new hire within the next two or three weeks. The new general manager is also expected to play a role in shaping Fnatic’s 2027 roster.

The organization has not yet confirmed which players will stay on the roster for 2027, but cArn revealed that fans can expect significant changes across the roster and coaching staff. "We go into the first offseason in many years... as kind of set up for a clean slate," he mentioned. Although he immediately clarified that “clean slate” should not “at this very hour be interpreted as no one is staying.”

Nevertheless, the organization is considering an overhaul of its entire League of Legends department, including its coaching structure and wider staff setup. At the moment, every team member except Lospa, whose contract runs until the end of 2027, will have their contracts expire in 2026, according to the League of Legends Esports’ Global Contract Database.

Fnatic previously fielded an academy roster, Fnatic TQ, which was disbanded in 2023, and the organization still hasn’t brought the project back. According to cArn, its absence may have hurt the team’s ability to take more calculated risks during the 2026 season in comparison to other teams.

"We see our competitors not only doubling down in terms of talent, they support every year, doubling down on the amount of supported staff they have. They might even have a fourth team and plant seeds that they maybe won't reap that very season, maybe even not the next season," he explained.

cArn revealed in his interview with Sheep Esports that Fnatic might be looking into having an academy team heading into the 2027 season. However, he revealed during X Space that the organization is yet to make a final decision on it, as it wants to understand how Europe’s Tier 2 ecosystem will develop.

Despite the scale of the changes being considered, cArn stressed that League of Legends remains an important part of Fnatic’s identity and that the organization’s long-term objective is to compete at the highest level. That said, Fnatic’s immediate approach will be more measured following its worst competitive season. "We now need to do the hard work in the offseason and the hiring processes and the leadership team we're establishing on the ground, but also ensuring that we are honest and transparent and clear to our goals next year," cArn explained.