Fnatic has been dealing with player illness in the run-up to the League of Legends 2022 World Championships. Riot Games has granted the team an additional emergency substitute for the competition, which the developer announced on September 26.
Riot Games stated in an online statement that Fnatic will be granted an additional substitute slot at Worlds 2022 due to Fnatic’s bot lane duo testing positive. The player coming up for the European team is their European Regional League team support Rúben ‘Rhuckz’ Barbosa.
Because the bot lane duo is currently unable to travel, Rhucks and substitute Mauno ‘beansu’ Tälli may be forced to hold the line until Fnatic’s main starters return.
The Play-In Stage for Worlds 2022 is scheduled to begin on September 29. Fnatic will kick off their Worlds campaign with two matches against Evil Geniuses and Chiefs Esports Club on the first day.
Fnatic has issued a statement stating that they will be able to provide more information about the status of starting bot lane duo Elias ‘Upset’ Lipp and Zdravets ‘Hylissang’ Iliev Galabov in the next two days.
If Fnatic does not have Upset in their lineup for Worlds 2022, it will be the second year in a row that the team has had to field a substitute for the German player. Due to Upset’s absence due to a family matter, Fnatic had to field substitute bot laner Louis ‘BEAN’ Schmitz at Worlds 2021.
Fnatic finished 1-5 in the Group Stage of that tournament after earning a direct seed past the Play-In Stage.
The Play-In Stage kicks off Worlds 2022 on September 29.