Fnatic Worlds 2022 campaign off to a testing start as bot-laners catch covid following lack of scrims

Update: Rhuckz and Bean from the Fnatic TQ academy team are looking like they will be ready to play at Worlds 2022 for Fnatic’s first team.

Update: Bean has flown home.

Original article: The Fnatic Worlds 2022 campaign is off to a rocky start once again, this time with ADC Upset and support player Hylissang testing positive for Covid.

Last year, Fnatic’s sub bot-laner Bean was called up to Worlds at the last minute as first-team player Upset was forced to return home, and Fnatic were knocked out in the group stage.

This year’s League of Legends World Championship starts on September 29th 2022 and Fnatic’s first match will take place that day, as they go up against North American side Evil Geniuses. But Fnatic might be without their first-team bot laners, due to them having covid.

In a statement published on the Fnatic Twitter page, the London-headquartered esports organisation said: “[Upset and Hylissang’s] journey to Mexico will be delayed accordingly. We are currently working closely with Riot on the matter and doing absolutely everything within our power to ensure our team arrives safely ahead of their first match on September 29th 2022.

“Our players’ health and wellbeing are our first and foremost priority. Both players are feeling okay, and we wish them a speedy recovery. We will provide updates as we receive them in the following days.”

The news comes a few days after Fnatic player Upset told League personality, streamer and coach LS that he wasn’t sure what Fnatic’s plans were leading up to Worlds, when it comes to scrimming/practicing against other teams.

“I don’t know, to be honest, I think other teams are scrimming with each other,” Upset said, as reported by Dot Esports. “I don’t know, I’m not sure what we are doing. I think it was a long split [and] we’re taking a break, I guess, not sure.”

Fnatic finished third in the LEC Summer 2022 playoffs, reaching the Worlds play-ins with Mad Lions, as winners Rogue and runners-up G2 qualified for the Worlds main event.

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Dom Sacco

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.