After Martin Larsson has left Fnatic, G2 Esports has brought aboard veteran bot-laner Martin "Rekkles" Larsson.
This concludes G2's League of Legends LEC team for 2021 following their recent made public the decision to transfer fellow ADC Perkz to Cloud9.
G2's LEC roster is largely unchanged. It is comprised of Wunder, Jankos, Caps and Mikyx. Rekkles is a former Fnatic player Caps is now joining G2.
The move has been teased for a while. Bloop from Esportmaniacos reported that Rekkles could be considering exploring his options, and then he finally said Rekkles had signed with G2 prior to the announcement going live.
According to this statement on G2's website, Rekkles made it very clear why he chose not to renew his contract at Fnatic and instead decided to join G2 in this off-season. With buyboosting, how do you discover Why G2 Might be struggling with Rekkles?
"My ambition has always been to prove that I am among the most successful players in the game and, despite winning four EU titles as well as the Worlds silver medal I am not content," Rekkles said.
"It is with this in mind that I have joined G2. They're a great company and an excellent brand. They believe that winning Worlds is just as important as it is for me. When they approached me to join the team, it was an easy decision.
"I am extremely excited about this opportunity and to see what we can achieve."
Rekkles was once considered to be the face of Fnatic's London-based company. Rekkles' departure marks the conclusion of a period where Fnatic and Rekkles received numerous awards. Since 2012, he has been with Fnatic several times.
G2's dominance of the LEC over the past two years seems to have resulted in Rekkles look foolish.
"Rekkles will choose his own way and the G2ARMY will be there to support him. He promised he would be the winner of Worlds. He will. Carlos "ocelote" Rodriguez Santiago, G2 owner, stated that G2 is his best option.
Fnatic fans are eager to find out who will replace Rekkles. The former Origen bot-laner Upset is the top contender after Crownshot, a former SK Gaming player, tweeted that he would not play at LEC.
Rumours have also pointed to Fnatic hiring YamatoCannon as the new Head Coach. Cloud 9 midlaner Nisqy to take over Nemesis's place.
There's no doubt G2 will be the favorite to keep their lead in Europe, but whether they are able to fulfil their ambition of winning Worlds and breaking through the iron hold of the LCK and LPL the future will be seen.
Rekkles is a contender to be the winner of Worlds But can He be able to achieve it?
It's a reminder that rosters are subject to changing from season-to-season since the off-season has begun.
Following Fnatic's recent rollercoaster splits in the LEC and their disappointing Worlds quarterfinals defeat to Top Esports, which saw Fnatic lose the lead by 2-0 to defeat 3-2, it was likely that a modification was planned in their roster.
However, Rekkles his departure, which I don't find that surprising, is huge. It's probably the biggest move we'll see during the off-season. Rekkles was not only a great ADC for Fnatic but he was the team's star player.
Since Fnatic is a London-based company I follow Fnatic carefully. I observe the way players react when one of their teammates is being smashed by an opponent or when they come back after a bad performance.
Personally, I felt that at times Rekkles was at odds with the rest of the team. They weren't winning as often and were also faced by a challenging game. When they appeared upset or unorganized in mid-game, Rekkles maintained composure.
At times, he would carry them, or show an act of skill that placed him in a different class from his peers. I'm not declaring that Fnatic aren't bad not at all, but I'm just saying that I thought that Rekkles thought differently than his teammates and sometimes there was no unity present. Rekkles had this patience and coherence that they did not. I'm of the view.
This move to G2 is an excellent thing for both of them and Rekkles. He will be able to give him and them a brand new boost of confidence. Of optimism. Of hope.
The hope of finally lifting the Worlds trophy. They have come so close before - reaching the final, the semi-final... The next decision could be what it takes for them to reach the final.
But for every star player such as Rekkles there's an unproven rookie who has the potential to be an elite player. G2 has improved , but also other players. They will need to be aware of that. One year is an extremely long time for the world of esports. Who is going to be the main player at Worlds 2021?
In an interview, Rekkles said to me that "if you are willing to put in 110 percent, then you can accomplish anything."
He said to me "I've always been competitive since my childhood with sports, I didn't want to play just for fun."
He also spoke about having an open mind, thinking out of the box, and having patience, waiting for the right time to strike video game as essential elements of climbing to the top.
Rekkles has been patient for a long time , and Now he's looking to take home the prize. Rekkles is good enough to be a winner. But can Rekkles be? Anything can happen in esports, in a season, in just one game in the blink of an eye. That's why Rekkles and G2 will have to develop an esports style of play like never before to be successful at winning Worlds. I'm excited to see them take on the challenge.