2 players from Fnatic’s League team test positive for COVID a week before Worlds 2022

More bad news from the boys in orange and black.

Photo by Michal Konkol/Riot Games

If you’re a European League of Legends fan rooting for the region’s four representatives at the 2022 World Championship, we’ve got some bad news. Fnatic has confirmed that two players on the organization’s LEC team have tested positive for COVID-19.

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The organization has revealed that Elias “Upset” Lipp and Zdravets “Hylissang” Iliev Galabov will have their trip to North America delayed after catching COVID-19. Fnatic said it will be “working closely with Riot” to make sure the team arrives safely before their first match on Thursday, Sept. 29.

Upset and Hylissang are “feeling okay” but will still need some time to recover from the effects of the disease. In the meantime, however, this means that Fnatic will not have its full starting lineup before the play-in stage begins.

This news comes after the team’s 22-year-old marksman spoke to popular League content creator LS during a stream and said that Fnatic have not competed in any scrims since the LEC playoffs ended. He did not mention anything about his positive COVID test, though.

Related: ‘I’m not sure what we are doing’: Fnatic star says team haven’t scrimmed ahead of Worlds 2022

If Fnatic had any scrims planned for when they touch down in NA, they won’t even have their full roster to practice with. The team is supposed to fly out for Mexico City on Saturday, Sept. 24, but now, the full roster will likely not get much practice together before the biggest tournament of the year.

Worlds 2022 will begin on Thursday, Sept. 29, when Fnatic will be facing off against North America’s Evil Geniuses to begin their journey toward the Summoner’s Cup.

Author
Image of Tyler Esguerra
Tyler Esguerra
Lead League of Legends writer for Dot Esports. Forever an LCS supporter, AD carry main, with more than five years in the industry. Sometimes I like clicking heads in Call of Duty or VALORANT. Creator of the Critical Strike Podcast.