It feels like it’s been ages since we’ve seen European League of Legends superstar Martin “Rekkles” Larssen wearing the orange and black, but after two long years away from home, the 26-year-old is reportedly returning to the LEC as Fnatic’s starting AD carry—but there have been many changes since he’s been gone.
Over the course of the past four splits, Fnatic fans have watched multiple players enter and exit the team’s doors as the org hunted for a winning formula with its roster.
After all, Fnatic hasn’t won an LEC championship since the 2018 Summer Split when their lineup consisted of names like top lane star Gabriël “Bwipo” Rau, jungler Mads “Broxah” Brock-Pedersen, and mid lane phenom Rasmus “Caps” Winther.
Rekkles was the constant force Fnatic could rely on in the bottom lane, destroying opposing duos with his superior early-game laning and picturesque late-game teamfighting. But, after a heart-breaking reverse sweep during the 2020 World Championship against Top Esports, the talented star made the stunning decision to leave the team for its perpetual rival, G2 Esports.
Before looking towards the next year, here are all of Rekkles’ achievements over the course of the past two years without Fnatic.
2021 Spring: Enormous hype, even bigger letdown
When G2 released the announcement for Rekkles, the League community was sent into a frenzy. Not only was he leaving for Fnatic’s sworn enemy, he was also joining the strongest team in LEC history. The roster now featured Europe’s most iconic marksman alongside some of the best players in the league, making them an instant favorite for the throne again.
Those who jumped onto the overflowing G2 bandwagon were happy to see the team live up to expectations during the regular season that Spring. Unsurprisingly, the team finished in first place with a 14-4 record, and was a frightening force heading into the playoffs.
But after losing back-to-back series in the playoffs against MAD Lions and Rogue, it was clear the team lacked enough cohesion to capture the crown.
Some team members, like former G2 support Mikyx, said the team became complacent after crushing the competition for so long. As a result, some people reduced this season to a simple bump in the road to greatness for the roster. Unfortunately for the G2 fanbase, that uneasiness quickly turned to fear through the following Summer Split.
2021 Summer: G2’s “King of Europe” era ends
G2 went from bad to worse through the 2021 Summer Split. The team made uncharacteristic mistakes in multiple games, leading to a second-place finish with a 12-6 record. If that wasn’t bad enough, the team dropped out of the playoffs after losing to both MAD Lions and Fnatic in quick succession.
Rekkles’ stats were still as high as ever, with the star racking up the second-highest KDA and the most kills in the league, according to Oracle’s Elixir. But even with this great individual performance, he could not carry the rest of the team to victory.
G2 bounced out of Worlds contention for the first time in five years, and after a plethora of issues concerning his sky-high buyout of 1.5 million euros, Rekkles was forced to leave the league and join Karmine Corp in the LFL.
2022 Spring: Becoming the king in a new land
After landing in the LFL, Rekkles showed the world he was still one of the best ADCs in the world. With the second-highest KDA and the fourth-most kills in the league, according to Oracle’s Elixir, he helped the team blast their way to second place with a 12-6 record. Disappointment would soon follow, however, as KC failed to win the LFL championship.
Focus quickly shifted to the European Masters tournament, where the Blue Wall was determined to capture their third trophy in a row. The French juggernaut bulldozed its way through the competition, only dropping a single game in the group stage, before battling its way to a well-earned victory against LDLC in the finals.
As usual, Rekkles had some incredible stats, sweeping up an eye-watering 8.0 KDA along with the third-most kills in the event, according to Oracle’s Elixir. In fact, three Karmine Corp players made up the top three in kills for the tournament.
It was a promising start to Rekkles’ time in the LFL.
2022 Summer: Making his way back home
Unfortunately for Rekkles fans and the Blue Wall, Summer wasn’t as fruitful as Spring. The team struggled to maintain its grip over the LFL, and after the regular season was over, Karmine Corp sat in sixth place with a lackluster 6-6 record. The playoffs went just about as badly as it could, with a first-round exit at the hands of GameWard.
After such a disappointing end to the year, Rekkles began streaming more during the offseason and was even a guest on the LEC broadcast team for Summer Finals. Although he has found relative success as a streamer, the star still has his sights set on a return to the LEC.
All the fans can do is wait and see if it will be with Fnatic in 2023.
