Yesterday the top of the North American League of Legends scene finalized their rosters heading into the 2015 scene. Now Europe looks to do the same.
Star mid laner Fabian “Febiven” Diepstraten has left H2k Gaming, the team he helped carry through the 2014 challenger season and into the League Championship Series.
It’s a move that surprises few. On December 23, a Daily Dot report pegged Diepstraten for a move to Fnatic. H2k management confirmed as much six days ago, when manager Richard Wells accused Fnatic of attempting to poach his other players after a legitimate transfer of Diepstraten.
Today, Diepstraten’s departure became official.
“It was a great experience to play in H2k,” the player said. “I enjoyed playing with everyone in the team and hanging out aside the game. But it’s time for me to move on. I am thrilled to start a new story and look for even better opportunities.”
Fnatic and now H2k are the only teams left in the League Championship Series without full rosters. H2k is believed to be favoring Ryu Sang-ook, a former star mid laner in Korea who sought to restart his career in Europe when he joined Millenium prior the expansion tournament.
Fnatic also seems to be courting Korean talent. Diepstraten has been seen playing the Ranked 5s ladder on a team with Fnatic support Bora “YellOwStaR” Kim and a presumed new roster including Kim “Reign Over” Ui-jin and “Huni,” two players with substitute experience on Korean pro teams.
In some ways, that might sound like a downgrade for the rising talent Diepstraten. H2k reigned over the challenger scene for the entirety of 2014, building up team synergy that should see them have some level of success in the LCS. They absolutely dominated the expansion tournament, winning every single game they played. The new Fnatic team is largely unproven, and so far inexperienced Korean imports have had little success outside their home country.
But that’s what makes League of Legends and esports so interesting—the game’s played in the server, not on paper. And H2k will still see Diepstraten in the server this season. Just on the other side.
Image via YouTube
