Fnatic has at last declared their first bomb in what they term as a ‘whole week of announcements,’ and it is a big deal for their League of Legends squad. They have announced the signing of the Greek top laner Empyros for the 2026 season. Yes, you heard it correctly, 2026. They are lining him up for the long haul, and the Black and Orange fans’ reaction is… let’s just say it is one mighty mood.
The official tweet was straight to the point: ‘The start of a whole week of announcements. Welcome @EmpyrosGRE as our top laner for 2026!’ It was accompanied by a very fashionable picture of the player looking like he was ready to fight. But the replies oh boy the replies are the ones that tell the actual story. It is a wild cocktail of excitement, skepticism, and a huge number of people who are not really sad to see Oscar go.
Why not break it down? Many Fnatic fans’ first reaction is pure excitement and thankfulness with no filters. The accounts like #ALWAYSFNATIC and Strafe Esports did not waste time with the probably heard ‘Welcome to the Black & Orange!’ others got creative. ‘BIENVENIDO GOAT,’ yelled FNC Didi while Cozmyk26 stated ‘QUE COMIENCE LA ERA GRIEGA EN FNATIC, ASCENDAMOS AL OLIMPO’ which, for those not speaking Spanish, almost translates to ‘Let the Greek era start in Fnatic, let us rise to Mount Olympus.’ That is majestic hype.
Nonetheless, the opposite is becoming more visible. The majority of the positive reactions rely completely on one issue: this transfer is most likely a signal that Oscar is out. User Mark53392336 was very straightforward when he expressed it in one word: ‘No more oscar thank god.’ Another comment, from FNCRayan_, was just a clip of someone dancing with the caption ‘OSCARRR BENCHHHH’ as if to say ‘Oscar is benched.’ It is clear that part of the fanbase welcomes every change in the top lane and that the arrival of a new player provided instant relief.
Not everyone is completely liquid, which is when it gets spicy. One user, Slime 🐍, in reply to the ‘thank god’ comment, threw some cold water: ‘he is worse than oscar lol he was mid tier in lfl.’ Ouch. That is a very critical remark concerning Empyros’ ranking in the French league. Nevertheless, another user, KC Yusha, came to his defense asserting: ‘But Empyros has good potential, Oscar did not.’ Thus, a small controversy is brewing in the comments about whether this is a real improvement or just a lateral move.
Besides there is the whole ‘week’ phrase. Gamers are already guessing what is next in the line. ‘A whole week? So 5 Players and 2 Coaches besides Grabbz? holy!’ speculated Escaflowne1996. On the other hand, FNC jessy from the Valorant side was anxiously saying, ‘a whole week? i hope valorant isnt included in that…’ referring to the fact that the multi-game org has everyone on edge waiting for their own team’s news while others are just hoping for good news. FNC Makun suggested it could mean the announcement of a head coach and other staff. The little tease has definitely worked—people are just about to burst for the next one.
Still, it is quite obvious that regional pride is a strong undercurrent. Greek fans like Misdirect, who said “Πάμε ρε Πάνο 💪🏻 🖤🧡” (‘Let’s go Panos’), are already reviving the Empyros or Panos as he is named. Others recalled his stint in the Italian league, with Paolo Grassia saying he saw him there and sending his best wishes. Looks like Fnatic is acquiring a new fan base with this signing, which is not only a good move but a very wise one.
Of course, there is going to be criticism. One comment merely stated, ‘From trash to trash lmao,’ which is about as balanced and sophisticated as esports banter gets on a good day. Also, there was a strange, funny side-conversation where some users thought Empyros resembled the former Fnatic mid laner Nisqy. ‘soy yo o tiene un airete a nisqy’ (‘is it me or does he look a bit like nisqy’), inquired one, to which another replied, ‘No se parece nada 😭’ (‘He doesn’t look like him at all’). Just a completely random aesthetic debate breaking out amid a roster announcement. Fnatic is taking a bold and decisive step regarding the future of their League of Legends team.
