Experienced UK League of Legends pro Matt “Impaler” Taylor is playing with Fnatic’s Academy team in the Summer EU West Challenger Series Open Qualifiers right now.
The team, also known as Chocolate Orange Fudge, consists of top-laner Werlyb, jungler Impaler, mid-laner SozPurefect, ADC Exork and support player Klaj, as reported by ESPN.
Impaler and SozPurefect have moved across from the Renegades Banditos to join Fnatic’s second League of Legends team, which began searching for players earlier this year. Klaj has been demoted from Fnatic’s first team to join the academy.
The UK-based organisation previously said in a statement: “It has been our ambition for a while to create a second team to nurture into future talent and at the same time provide additional support for our LCS team.
“This is a really exciting time for Fnatic as we embark on this new adventure. We have big ambitions to find the best raw talent possible and help them grow into future stars.”
Impaler and SozPurefect are the latest players to leave the Banditos, who have already progressed to the EU Challenger Series qualifiers after winning the ESL UK Premiership.
Promising mid-laner Caedrel has also left (though it’s not yet confirmed where to), while it’s believed top-laner Alphari may be moving to another team in the near future too. Maxlore, the jungler who stepped in to help Banditos win the ESL UK Premiership, is also joining another team to be announced soon.
We understand that both Maxlore and Alphari received offers from Inspire Esports, but turned them down.
Caedrel was previously loaned from the Banditos to the Copenhagen Wolves during part of the most recent ESL UK Premiership season.
There were rumours floating around suggesting the Banditos ‘had ended’ following their ESL UK Premiership win, and were instead planning to sell their Challenger Series Qualifier spot, but the Banditos deny this.
However, team manager Ali “Alicus” Saba did confirm to eSports News UK that roster changes were taking place.
He said that Alphari was staying, and that the team has a “really good roster” for the Challenger Series qualifiers, though there was no other concrete details he could disclose at this time.
Banditos also played with ADC Yuuki60 and support Hiiva at the ESL UK Premiership final earlier this month.
The Renegades Banditos were formed earlier this year, and qualified for the ESL UK Premiership after missing out on an earlier Challenger Series spot.
Impaler featured in the BBC TV programme Supergamers earlier this year.
If Fnatic make it through the open qualifiers, they will face the Banditos in the actual EU Challenger Series qualifiers.
The Fnatic Academy players expressed their excitement in joining the team:
Holy shit, i love Chocolate Orange Fudge so much!!!
— Matt Taylor (@Impalerlol) April 25, 2016
Holy shit, i love Chocolate Orange Fudge so much!!!
— Exork (@Exorker) April 25, 2016
Holy shit, i love Chocolate Orange Fudge so much!!!
— Jorge Casanovas (@_Werlyb) April 25, 2016
Holy shit, i love Chocolate Orange Fudge so much!!!
— Reformed Midlaner (@SozPurefect) April 25, 2016
Holy shit, i love Chocolate Orange Fudge so much!!!
— Johan Olsson (@Klajbajk) April 25, 2016
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Dom is an award-winning writer and finalist of the Esports Journalist of the Year 2023 award. He graduated from Bournemouth University with a 2:1 degree in Multi-Media Journalism in 2007.
As a long-time gamer having first picked up the NES controller in the late ’80s, he has written for a range of publications including GamesTM, Nintendo Official Magazine, industry publication MCV and others. He worked as head of content for the British Esports Federation up until February 2021, when he stepped back to work full-time on Esports News UK and offer esports consultancy and freelance services. Note: Dom still produces the British Esports newsletter on a freelance basis, so our coverage of British Esports is always kept simple – usually just covering the occasional press release – because of this conflict of interest.