Fnatic are looking to start a new chapter in the LEC with their recent signing of Yoon “Poby” Sung-won straight from Korea’s T1 Esports Academy as their new mid laner for the Summer Split 2025.
Poby replaces the long-time mid laner for Fnatic, Marek “Humanoid” Brázda, who has been shifted to the team’s inactive League roster. The rest of the Fnatic squad from the last season remains the same for now, with a little coaching addition in Duffman, who joined Grabbz earlier this year to help the orange giants get back on track.
The 19-year-old mid laner rose to prominence in 2023 when he was called up to T1’s main roster during the LCK Summer Split 2023 to temporarily replace Faker, who was sidelined due to a wrist injury. Despite his lack of experience, Poby showed flashes of potential on the big stage. He earned valuable LCK experience in the process, especially with the same T1 roster that went on to claim two consecutive Worlds titles.
Although his performance wasn’t remarkable, his ability to hold his own against some of the best mid laners in the LCK was noticed by other teams. When Faker returned to the roster, Poby went back to the Academy team and kept performing alongside players like Shin “Smash” Geum-jae, who also recently made his way to the main T1 roster in place of Gumayusi.
Poby also played with Rekkles, who is an icon in the European League esports scene and a Fnatic legend himself, during their stint with T1 Academy. Rekkles likely shared valuable insights from his extensive experience competing in Europe.
The Korean prodigy is becoming the centerpiece of Fnatic’s rebuild as they aim to climb back to the top of the LEC. The team has struggled in recent splits to contend for titles consistently. They last won an LEC title in Summer 2018.
Fnatic have a rich history of winning in the LEC and are one of the most decorated teams in Europe. They were the inaugural EU LCS champions in 2013 and have remained a perennial contender over the years, even as rivals like G2 Esports and MAD Lions have risen to prominence. However, the lack of trophies in recent years, despite several playoff runs, has left the organization desperately searching for that X-factor to reclaim their place as European champions.
The organization experimented in recent years by importing two other Koreans—Oh “Noah” Hyeon-taek and Yoon “Jun” Se-jun—but the move didn’t last long despite solid performances. Both players have since moved on, and they now compete for GIANTX in the LEC. However, the signing of Korean rookie Poby signals a bold move by Fnatic to revitalize their roster with fresh talent and a potential long-term investment by the squad to bring better results.
In the announcement, Fnatic welcomed Poby as someone who shares their ambition to “save the LEC” and bring international relevance back to European League of Legends. The region struggled at the recent MSI 2025, where both G2 and KOI placed 7th-8th out of 10 teams.
Poby said he can improve the team’s “tempo and overall strategy,” among other things, to give Fnatic the edge it needs to bring back its glory days. With the LEC Summer Split 2025 around the corner, all eyes will be on how quickly Poby can adapt to the new conditions and whether this move by Fnatic will pay off in the long run.
