Fnatic potentially moving its academy team to a new region

Tokoni Uti Published 25/11/2020

After four consecutive split wins amongst the UK and Nordic leagues, Fnatic academy side Fnatic Rising may soon be switching regions.

In a recent live AMA held by the organisation’s League of Legends director Javier “Dardo” Zafra and CEO Sam Mathews, the pair explained plans to move both Fnatic Rising and the team’s main LEC roster into a shared training facility in April 2021. This will see the academy side move away from Fnatic’s London headquarters and head to Berlin, where the main team currently resides to compete in the LEC.

Whilst in London, Fnatic Rising had competed in the UKLC and has won three successive splits before also going on to win the newly formed NLC, which combined both the UK and Nordic league in Summer 2020. Despite their success in the region, the move to Berlin has prompted questions as to whether Fnatic’s academy may also switch regions with Germany’s Prime League, which is generally seen as grounds for fiercer competition.

This became more concrete when Mathews liked a tweet from a fan expressing their preference for a move to the DACH league, citing the region’s increased viewership and quality of play as worthy reasons for a move.

The following day, popular in-the-know Twitter personality LEC Wooloo added further fuel to the fire when he advised that a switch “would be next year” when the rumour was mentioned to him.

Should any change take place, it does appears unlikely that it would be any time soon with roster-building already well underway and no such announcement on a region switch having been made as of yet.

Astralis to take NLC spot?

Fnatic Rising leaving the NLC would ultimately leave a space open for another side, and newly rebranded Astralis seems the most likely fit. While Origen’s academy team played in the Spanish leagues due to founder Enrique “xPeke” Cedeño Martínez, Astralis is a known Danish organisation and so a move to the Nordic leagues would make sense.

From a branding standpoint alone the switch would seem a smart one, however it could also have competitive significance for the side. Origen’s existing academy team only competed in Spain’s 2nd division, Liga Nexo, having split with partner SevenMila who owned their 1st division slot. Moving Astralis academy into a top ERL league could then give them much greater use of their second roster, gaining better practice and helping to develop talent for the team.

Read Also

Esports Betting

These Are Our Betting Tips for the League Championship Series Week 4 Ben Boland The 2026 LCS Summer Split is in full swing, with the eight North American squads all vying for a chance to represent the region at this year's World Championship. With Worlds being on home soil, there is more than just a ticket to Worlds at stake. Each series in the regular season carries weight, as the standings will determine their seeding and potentially their fate in the playoffs. Week four ...

League of Legends

Caps To Be Announced As Third Inductee in the LoL Hall of Legends Hannan Mundia After Faker and Uzi were inducted into the Hall of Legends in 2024 and 2025 respectively, the European League of Legends player Caps will be the next to get the same treatment. League of Legends has been a cornerstone in the professional gaming scene for over a decade. In that time, a handful of players have managed to leave their mark for all future fans and fellow players to learn ...

Esports Betting

MLBB is the most-watched game from the EWC, and it’s hard to see another game beating it Michael Hassall The Esports World Cup 2026 has officially passed its midway point and viewership figures for the tournament have surpassed many expectations so far, as per Esports Charts. The viewership tracking site revealed new statistics for the event on Aug. 6, showcasing just how many games had set new records in viewership, including one name leading the way in views: Mobile Legends: Bang Bang. MLBB leads the viewership charts with the ...

League of Legends

LCK 2026 Rounds 3–4 Preview, Schedule, Predictions, and More Hannan Mundia 2026 LCK Rounds 3-4 are slated to start soon, and this preview highlights the schedule, our expert predictions, and everything else you need to know before watching. The LCK has been upside down recently. Teams that were considered absolute powerhouses are seemingly falling off, while previous underdogs have been causing upset after upset. 2026 LCK Rounds 3-4 are starting soon, and the big question here is which team will reign ...

League of Legends

LEC 2026 Summer split preview, schedule, predictions, and more Hannan Mundia The 2026 LEC Summer split will be the deciding split to determine which teams can make it to the World Championship, and this preview aims to highlight everything you need to know about it. It isn’t a stretch to say that the LCK and LCP are the only two competitive League of Legends regions actually pulling their weight currently. The LEC did show potential at the start of the year, ...

League of Legends

How is League of Legends Classic different from the modern version? Hannan Mundia League Classic brings the classic League of Legends gameplay and design from when the game first came out, but how is it different from the modern version? The modern League of Legends mode is arguably in its best state in terms of popularity, with a study even reporting that playing LoL can improve brain function. Over a decade of gameplay and multiple marketing tactics by Riot Games have bumped up ...

League of Legends

Best Champions for every role in League of Legends Classic mode Hannan Mundia League Classic sees the return of League of Legends Season 3, but which champions were deemed the best during that time? League of Legends has gone through a lot of changes since it first came out. While the map and item-related changes naturally impacted the game's state, so did the many champion nerfs, buffs, and reworks. Multiple champions played completely differently in Season 3 than they do now. Since League ...