LoL - Worlds 2025: Fnatic, some roads lead to them (5/17)

The League of Legends 2025 World Championship kicks off in Beijing on the 14th of October. A total of 17 teams will compete to, again, succeed T1 at the top of the Riot Games MOBA world hierarchy. On this occasion, Sheep Esports brings you a daily feature on one of the teams taking part. On October 3rd, the fifth episode of our series focuses on Fnatic.

For the ninth consecutive year, the Black and Orange have earned a spot in the most prestigious tournament of the season. This marks their 13th overall appearance at Worlds, where they will represent the EMEA region as the third LEC seed. Their goal: to reach the quarterfinals for the first time since 2020.

Fnatic enters Worlds 2025 with tempered expectations, widely seen as lacking the spark and decisiveness of stronger title contenders. Their Summer Split in the LEC was somewhat underwhelming, with the team sitting just around the level of a fourth-place contender. Yet, thanks in part to the collapse of rivals such as Karmine Corp, Fnatic secured their Worlds ticket—albeit without much fanfare. Their last appearance on the international stage ended in a swift Swiss Stage elimination, highlighting the scale of the challenge they will face this month.

However, this Worlds run comes as the team undergoes an important transition. At the start of the year, Fnatic rebuilt their botlane, reuniting with their former star ADC Elias “Upset” Lipp and adding world-class support Mihael “Mikyx” Mehle from G2 Esports. Despite consistent regular season runs, their story was the same in playoffs: frequent eliminations at the hands of EMEA rivals like Karmine Corp, G2, and Movistar KOI. With no MSI berth this year, the organization made a resounding change before Summer by parting ways with midlaner Marek “Humanoid” Brázda after three and a half years. This move opened the door to a new direction: the arrival of South Korean prodigy Yoon “Poby” Sung-won, a 19-year-old talent from T1 Esports Academy, renowned for producing some of the finest players in the world.

Poby’s signing was presented as both a bold gamble and a statement of intent, for the player and the organization alike. In his debut announcement, he ambitiously declared his mission to “save the LEC.” In just eight best-of-series during Summer, he established himself among the top LEC midlaners, and in an interview with Sheep Esports, he shared: “I really want to meet T1 and Faker (Lee Sang-hyeok). I can’t believe I’m going to Worlds. I feel ready to face all these strong international midlaners.”

Despite their qualification, doubts remain regarding Fnatic’s ability to handle the discipline and mechanical precision of the Eastern leagues, particularly the LCK and the rapidly rising LCP. Domestically, much of their success has rested on flashes of individual brilliance—like Oscar "Oscarinin" Munoz’s explosive toplane carry angles or Ivan "Razork" Martin’s relentless jungle pressure—rather than well-drilled macro play. Fnatic thrives more in improvisation and chaos than in rigid control, a style that both gives them an edge in volatility and exposes them against heavily system-based teams. This identity could make them dangerous in best-of-five scenarios, where momentum swings can rewrite a series.

As has often been the case in their long history, Fnatic’s bot lane shines as the backbone of the roster. Support Mikyx and AD carry Upset combine to form one of the strongest duos in Europe, if not the very best. Their consistency is a lifeline for the team, offering stability whenever Fnatic look to inject disorder into their games and capitalize on chaotic fights against more methodical opponents.

Mikyx remains one of the LEC’s biggest playmakers. A veteran with years of international experience, he directs much of Fnatic’s early and midgame flow alongside Razork. His proactive playstyle fits perfectly with the team’s aggressive identity, favoring unpredictable and explosive engages over controlled setups. Mikyx embodies the peak of European talent in his role.

Beside him, Upset continues to be one of the league’s most reliable AD carries, valued for his immaculate positioning, impeccable farming, and high kill participation without unnecessary risks. While never the most reckless aggressor, his combination of consistency and clutch factor establishes him as a dependable late-game win condition. Upset’s high KDA and ability to survive critical fights allow Fnatic to transition patiently into key objective setups and decisive teamfights.

What stood out this year is Fnatic’s ability, at times, to diversify their strategies. While historically the team funneled most of its resources to empower the bot lane, Razork increasingly looked to enable Oscarinin as a toplane carry. The arrival of Poby is no small part of that shift. More stable than Humanoid despite limited experience and just a single Split in LEC, Poby gave Fnatic surprising balance and fresh options in how they approach the game.