League of Legends: T1 officially confirms addition of Rekkles to their 2024 Academy Roster

South Korean League of Legends (LoL) powerhouse and reigning world champions T1 has finally confirmed the addition of LoL European Championship (LEC) legend Carl Martin Erik "Rekkles" Larsson to its Academy roster on Monday (11 December).

“A[n] LEC legend, 'Rekkles' has joined our T1 Esports Academy team as Support!” the announcement read.

Rekkles joins T1 Academy after recent rough stint in Europe

Before the announcement, Rekkles hinted on social media last November that he had signed with a team, stating that he was “superdupermega excited” for the opportunity.

Although rumours around this have been circulating even before Worlds 2023 concluded, this still came as a surprise to many as Rekkles had already earned plenty of accolades throughout his career before joining an Academy squad in another region.

The European legend was hailed the “King of the North,” having won four regional titles among other local championship titles in the LEC. He has also been recognised as the MVP in multiple seasons throughout his 11-year career as a pro.

However, Rekkles had a difficult journey as a pro in the last couple of years, struggling to adapt to G2 Esports in Season 2021 and finding no home in the LEC for Season 2022.

Instead, the LEC star joined French organisation Karmine Corp of the Ligue Française de League of Legends (LFL), as a bot laner, where he helped the team reach 6th place in Spring.

Rekkles was welcomed back to Fnatic for Season 2023, where the team failed to make playoffs in Winter and Spring. He was then moved to a Support role but was notably absent from the team’s starting roster in the Summer, missing Worlds 2023.

“2023 was probably the worst year of my career, but none of that matters now,” Rekkles said in an X (formerly Twitter) post in November.

“I choose to look ahead and got some big plans to revamp myself. I've stayed down long enough, it's about time I stand back up.”

Rekkles shifts to support role

Rekkles' move to T1's Academy marks a notable shift for the 27-year-old player, who had expressed a desire for a different role earlier. In a welcome video posted by T1 on social media, Rekkles discussed his decision.

After parting ways with Fnatic earlier in the year, Rekkles had mentioned wanting to play Support in the LEC, noting that it had been his main focus for the past five months and was something he “almost did way back in 2014.”

“I hate what ifs; they bother me,” he added. “I want to try and see how good I can get on support, because at least I know when my career is finished, I tried everything.”

Rekkles also mentioned that he wanted to come to South Korea, stating that he always made the decision to join a team where he has a chance to be the best player.

The LEC pro acknowledged that there will be challenges along the way, especially of his adjustment South Korean language and culture, new teammates in T1 Academy, and a new role as a player.

“It’s [going to be] quite overwhelming, I think, for me in the beginning,” he admitted. However, he vowed to “fight for this chance,” and try his best to be a good teammate.

It’s quite uncommon for a LoL pro to join an Academy or Challenger roster.

In 2016, LEC player Henrik "Froggen" Hansen joined the North American Challenger Series (now known as LCS Challenger), and in 2019, South Korean pro, Nam "LirA" Tae-yoo, joined the LCS team Clutch Gaming’s Academy roster.

However, Rekkles is the first storied LoL pro to move toward joining an Academy in another region, acknowledging that the LCK is one of the most competitive in the World.

T1’s acquisition of Rekkles for their 2024 roster adds an exciting chapter to the narrative of cross-regional player movements that supposedly, with the off-season underway, has just begun. This move is likely to shine a spotlight on the LCK and its academy series next year, as viewers from Europe tune in to witness the journey of a European veteran navigating the competitive landscape of Korean League of Legends.

As the LCK welcomes yet another renowned talent to its fold, the League community awaits with anticipation to see how their King in the North will adapt to the World Champions’ Academy team—-and most of all, whether it paves the way for his return to the international stage.

Many from the LEC and other regions wished the King of the North luck in his new journey. This included LEC pros like Erik "Treatz" Wessén and teams from other regions like PSG Talon. His former Fnatic team also wished Rekkles well on X after the announcement.

European and South Korean fans curious and supportive of unconventional decision

T1's signing of Rekkles for the 2024 roster adds an electrifying twist to the unfolding narrative of cross-regional player movements, signalling the commencement of what promises to be an intriguing off-season.

With the spotlight set to shine on the LCK and its academy series in the upcoming year, European viewers are eagerly tuning in to follow the journey of a seasoned European veteran as he navigates the competitive landscape of Korean League of Legends.

Some Western fans, like X user @MsideSoTA, said that they will be “watching LCK Academy games next season.”

Others, like X user @cherryujinz, are looking forward to the former LEC pro’s success in T1, hoping that he might be able to sub for Ryu “Keria” Min-seok, T1’s main roster support, should it ever be needed.

The reaction of South Korean fans were also mostly encouraging, with many YouTubers like @cnannwimun492 and @seok_ine mentioning how amazing it was for an “undisputed legend” to start anew in a “second team (referring to the Academy team) rather than the first team of another country (according to a machine translation of their comments on YouTube), and with many expressing support for the European player.

Anna is a freelance writer and photographer. She is a gamer who loves RPGs and platformers, and is a League of Legends geek. She's also a food enthusiast who loves a good cup of black coffee.

For more esports news updates, visit https://yhoo.it/YahooEsportsSEA and check out Yahoo Esports Southeast Asia’s Facebook page and Twitter, as well as our Gaming channel on YouTube.