After a year and a half in the orange and black, Fnatic is parting ways with Selfmade prior to the 2021 LEC Summer Split. The 21-year-old jungler has been transferred to a new LEC roster, according to Fnatic, although the team hasn’t been specified just yet.
Fnatic revealed that Selfmade declined a contract extension offer at the end of this past Spring Split. Due to this decision—and the coaching staff looking to go in a new direction for the jungle role—the last offer the team could make was a substitute position with the main roster. But he was determined to be a starter this summer, so the team gave him the opportunity to explore his options.
Throughout his time with Fnatic, Selfmade became one of the best junglers in Europe. He helped the team reach two LEC finals and pushed Fnatic to the knockout stage at the 2020 World Championship. He’s become known for his dominant carry jungling style, which helped dictate the pace in many of his team’s matches. Next split, however, he’ll be wearing a different jersey as the competition heats up ahead of Worlds 2021.
Meanwhile, Fnatic’s new jungler will be none other than Bwipo, who will be role swapping for the 2021 Summer Split. This will be the 22-year-old veteran’s first time as a jungler in professional play, and as a result, should prove to be a huge challenge for him and his teammates. Bwipo has been a very outspoken member of the team, which should be a good trait to bring since junglers must be vocal in their plans both on and off Summoner’s Rift. He also has plenty of experience and chemistry with the rest of the roster, so keeping him was important to Fnatic’s future plans.
“The coaching staff made the decision that made the most sense for everyone for this upcoming split, and we look forward to seeing where it takes us in Summer,” Fnatic team director Javier “dardo” Zafra said. “Bwipo is an extremely intelligent player, and will undoubtedly be able to use his knowledge of multiple roles in League of Legends to develop his jungle playstyle very quickly. He has all the right ingredients to be a success in this upcoming split as a jungler.”
This roster now signals the beginning of a new era with Fnatic. With both Rekkles and Selfmade gone, Bwipo and new top laner Adam must prove to the fans and team that this decision wasn’t in vain. Growing pains are almost guaranteed for this roster, but the season will come down to the lineup’s ability to persevere and find a playstyle that matches the collection of talent they have at their disposal.
You can watch the new-look Fnatic in action when the 2021 LEC Summer Split begins on Friday, June 11.
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