Fnatic ex-ADC Upset joins Vitality after disastrous Winter

Elias “Upset” Lipp, the once-AD carry for Fnatic, has joined Team Vitality after a disappointing end to LEC Winter 2023 for both organizations.

Upset was previously the AD carry for Fnatic’s LEC roster from 2020 to 2022 before being put on its inactive roster and replaced by Martin “Rekkles” Larsson in 2023. Since then, his absence from the LEC has been a subject of much discussion. The veteran marksman player’s absence is short-lived, as he just announced that he’ll join another LEC team – Team Vitality.

Upset joins the Vitality LEC team

Upset has joined Vitality as the replacement for the previous AD carry, Matus “Neon” Jakubcik. He announced his new position on Twitter with the emphatic statement, “I’m back in the LEC.” The post includes a photo of Upset wearing Team Vitality’s 2023 LEC jersey. While he was on the inactive roster, 2023’s Winter split wasn’t the best for either Fnatic and Vitality. While Vitality finished first in the regular split, they crashed and burned in playoffs to third place in SK Gaming.

Why did Upset leave Fnatic?

The exact circumstances surrounding Upset’s move to the inactive roster and subsequent absence from Winter Split 2023 while still signed to Fnatic aren’t clear. Fnatic’s 2022 ended with a disappointing Worlds performance and the roster underwent subsequent changes to try and recapture its former competitive success. At the same time, Vitality soared through the regular split only to fall 0-2 to SK Gaming. Fnatic fell to 9th place, the team’s worst-ever performance in the LEC, leaving the AD carry with little reason to step in again come Spring Split.

When did Upset join Vitality?

Upset has announced he joined Vitality on Thursday, March 2. His contract has been updated in the Global Contract Database, making the trade official.