A Tribute to Krepo: The Fan Favourite

Krepo was not the most talented player in the legendary CLG.EU line-up. That title belongs to Froggen. Neither was he the most attractive. Snoopeh wins that award. However, Krepo still managed to endear himself to fans in a way that few other Western LoL players have ever achieved. 

His popularity is largely down to his friendly disposition. He gives off an incredibly lovable aura; fans almost feel as if they are friends with him, despite most never having met him in person. He possesses a potent arsenal of personal traits that allow him to pierce the hearts of fans: intelligence, humour, humility and conscientiousness are but four of these.

He played a mean game of League of Legends, too. When he first started playing the game, he was actually just an average player, finding himself stuck at 1500 elo due to his computer running the game at between 12 and 20 fps. However, after buying a new computer, his performances improved drastically. Eventually, after dabbling with relatively unknown teams Fureur and La GG, he joined CLG EU.

This would prove to be the greatest decision of his career. The team, which would later be renamed to Evil Geniuses, established themselves as a giant of the European scene, winning three tournaments in 2012 and placing in the top four of many more – including a run to the semi-finals of the Season 2 World Championships.

As his career progressed, he became well-known on a variety of support champions, ranging from playmakers like Thresh to more passive champions such as Soraka. Prepared to adapt to the meta, and provide whatever his team needed, Krepo was the ultimate team player. His synergy with Yellow Pete was particularly legendary.

However, hearts were broken as the legendarily unchanged EG roster broke up in December 2013. Froggen and Wickd stayed in Europe to form a much-hyped “super team” named Alliance, while Snoopeh, YellowPete and Krepo moved with the EG organisation to North America. EG received Velocity eSports’ place in the promotion series, and they beat Team Coast 3-0 to secure a spot in the 2014 NA Spring Split.

However, the new EG team never managed anything close to the achievements that CLG.EU and the old EG had achieved in Europe. Due to poor performances, both Snoopeh and YellowPete were removed from the roster. EG finished in the bottom two spots in both of their first two splits. Later, Krepo would shed light on the poor team conditions that played a large role in the new roster’s failure. 

Nonetheless, Krepo’s stocks remained high. He had always been loved for his personality, so poor performances did not see his fan base dwindle. After the two splits of disappointment with EG, Krepo finally left the organisation, and spent four months streaming under the Cloud 9 organisation.

In February this year, Krepo reunited with former CLG.EU teammates Wickd and Froggen when he joined their superteam (now named Elements). Looking to him to form an elite bot lane alongside former Fnatic ADC, Rekkles, many of Krepo’s fans expected a resurgence from the Belgian. Instead, Elements had the worst season of their history, finishing the Spring Split 7th.

Although he was respected as a high-quality support for most (if not all) of his career, Krepo’s true value to the community extended far beyond bindings and death sentences. Krepo was loved by the community for his commitment to understanding even the tiniest details of the game, and showcased this knowledge to great effect on the World Championship analyst desk. In between rants about support itemisation and the race to level 2, he managed some entertaining lines.

Throughout his career Krepo often struggled with his weight, at one point inflicting upon himself the phrase “Get fat with Krepo” (a play on Snoopeh’s famous fitness campaign, “Get fit with Snoopeh”). However, after realising that he needed to make lifestyle changes, Krepo managed to lose a substantial amount of weight, inspiring gamers around the world.

So, what next for Krepo? Many hope that he will take up a role as a colour caster in the EU LCS. It would make a lot of sense, as the EU LCS has only had three casters over the past split. He has proven before, on both the analyst and caster desks, that he has a gift of intelligent, well-formulated gab.

Alternatively, he could become a coach, analyst or streamer. He has shown that he has the ability to thrive in all but the former. As a coach he is largely unproven, but given his nurturing ways, say-it-as-it-is attitude and tactical intelligence, he has the raw qualities to make an excellent coach. 

Krepo will be remembered as a legend of the Western scene. He was an inspiration to many, and can be proud of his achievements. However, this is not the end of the road for everyone’s favourite Skumbag. He has merely finished the first stage in what is destined to be a legendary journey. Whatever lies ahead, of one thing you can be certain: He will give it 110%, and he will do so with the support of his massive fan base.

Photo via lolesports