LEC 2021: The Three Biggest Questions About Rekkles Leaving Fnatic

Fnatic’s legendary AD Carry Rekkles has announced that he will be signing with another team next year.

The 2020 offseason has officially been the weirdest offseason in the history of League of Legends. Moves that seemed incomprehensible at the start of the year, like TSM without Bjergsen and G2 without Perkz, and now, Fnatic without Rekkles.

Today, legendary ADC Martin “Rekkles” Larsson announced he would be leaving Fnatic and signing with another organization. Though not confirmed, it is heavily rumored that the team he is signing with will be the long-time rivals of his former team, G2 Esports. Naturally, this has caused a myriad of confusion and responses, but we have three big questions.

1. Why Now?

Fnatic and Rekkles have been linked hand-in-hand for nearly a decade now. Rekkles joined Fnatic in November 2012 and has been with them ever since (other than that brief stint with EU super-team Alliance). For reference, here’s how long it’s been since Rekkles joined Fnatic:

So why is he now prepared to leave the team he’s known for basically his whole career for their biggest rivals?

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Perhaps it has to do with the fact that Fnatic’s roster is (somewhat) breaking up with mid laner Nemesis being replaced by Nisqy and a new coach in Yamatocannon. It could be a desire to play with his former teammates Caps and (briefly) Mikyx. Or it could be that Rekkles wants to finally win a World Championship and he believes that his best chance is doing so is with G2.

Whatever the reasoning, Rekkles is leaving a Fnatic roster that many would likely see as a formidable contender in the LEC. After so many years of fighting the good fight against G2, why did Rekkles decide now is the time to side with the enemy?

2. Who Replaces Him?

This is a natural question, which many Fnatic fans (and probably Fnatic management themselves) weren’t expecting to answer. The good news is that there are several good free agency options in the LEC, such as former SK ADC Crownshot and former Origen ADC Upset among others.

Of course, Fnatic could also look to the ranks of EU Masters where there are proven veterans like Attila, Jeskla, and Woolite, as well as young talent like Puki Style, Exakick, and SMILEY. Whatever the case, it will be critical that the new ADC finds synergy with Fnatic’s uber-aggressive support Hylissang, whom Fnatic recently re-signed on a one-year deal.

3. Can Anyone Stop G2 with Rekkles?

By adding Rekkles to an already star-studded lineup, G2 now figures to be (once again) the favorites to win Europe. For years, G2 has been the presumptive favorite to win the LEC, but with this addition it might be time to start asking if they are the presumptive favorites to win Worlds 2021?

In all honesty, I don’t think G2 Rekkles is as big a slam-dunk as the initial reaction makes it appear to be. While Rekkles has been known for having a very diverse champion pool (meaning he’ll fit in quite well with his top laner Wunder), that also means that his team is often put in the position to play around him. That’s not to say that Rekkles is a notorious resource hog, but I certainly don’t think Rekkles is quite as malleable as Perkz was, even if Perkz isn’t as talented in the role as Rekkles.

Still, the addition of Rekkles should absolutely make G2 fans giddy. They’re not only getting one of the best ADCs in the history of their region, but they’re also taking away a weapon from their biggest rivals.