Rekkles believes he and G2 Esports are “made for each other”
Michal Konkol for Riot GamesMartin ‘Rekkles’ Larsson has admitted he and his former rivals turned new organization G2 Esports are basically “made for each other,” as the Swede makes the biggest roster swap of the LEC offseason in his bid to finally win Worlds.
On Nov. 22, Fnatic figurehead and captain Rekkles shocked the League of Legends world; he had accepted a multi-year deal with his team’s arch-rivals G2 Esports.
The switch ended Rekkles’ seven-year tenure with Fnatic, excluding a six-month swap to Europe’s then superteam Elements. The shock move sent ripples through the LEC, and raised another question; could Rekkles actually succeed away from the orange and black?
According to the Swede, who spoke to his fans on his YouTube channel after the huge move was announced, everything will work out just fine. He and G2 are “made for each other,” in more ways than one, and that’s all that matters.
G2 Esports“I want to be the best,” says Rekkles
“I started doing this because I wanted to be the best, and that means winning Worlds,” Rekkles explained. “G2 Esports, and the roster, has a very similar mindset. In that way, we’re made for each other; the team really wants to win Worlds.”
Between Rekkles and his new org, they have each contested — and lost — a Worlds final recently. Fnatic was battered by Invictus Gaming in 2018’s decider, then watched from the sidelines a year later as G2 suffered the same fate against FPX.
The losses were rough, Rekkles agrees, but they’ve given him something else too: hope that the LEC can repeat their long-forgotten 2011 feats, and claim the Summoner’s Cup.
“Ever since 2018, I believe that it’s possible… so it lines up nicely with how G2 feels about it all as well,” he said. “I’ve realized I have a lot more to give than being a participation guy, that goes to every event and every Worlds, but never wins.”
Riot GamesG2’s new star worried about “being serious”
There is one thing worrying Rekkles though. He’s always been a driven, emotional player, and some of his most iconic moments, for better or worse, have come with passion and tears.
G2, and the roster stacked full of jokers like Marcin ‘Jankos’ Jankowski, Caps, and Martin ‘Wunder’ Hansen, have built a name as Europe’s pranksters. They sing in champ select, play strange comps, and have ‘happy games.’
“Obviously there’s a little bit of worry in terms of how we fit in socially with the team or culturally,” the Swede admitted with a straight face. “When it comes to games I know we’re gonna be fine, but I am worried about being a more serious guy.”
“I’m maybe not the leader you’d expect… I’m not Perkz,” he added.
The related segment begins at 8:42 in the video below.
Of course, that didn’t dissuade him from trading orange for black and white heading into the new LEC season. Rekkles believes he’s made the right decision, absolutely no question.
“I have this dream of being a player everyone remembers when they look back through time… so I always try to make choices based off that,” he said.
“I [did this] because I believe it will give me the highest chance of succeeding. It wasn’t to do with money. I have always sought victory. I want to play for a team with the highest chances of doing damage at Worlds. Right now, that’s G2.”