Fnatic coach Grabbz calls elimination a gigantic failure and embarrassment

Fnatic, one of the most decorated names in European League of Legends, is having what you might generously call a character-building stretch. Head coach Fabian “GrabbZ” Lohmann didn’t bother with the generous framing, calling the organization’s elimination a “gigantic failure” with no positive aspects worth salvaging.

The 2026 LEC season ended with Fnatic missing Worlds qualification for the first time since 2016. That’s a decade-long streak of international appearances, snapped by a 1-2 loss to GIANTX in what amounted to a do-or-die series.

A collapse that started building in 2025

At Worlds 2025, Fnatic entered as the LEC’s third seed and promptly became the first European team eliminated from the tournament. Their group stage record: 0-3, with only a single map won across the entire run.

GrabbZ was unsparing in his assessment at the time, calling the Worlds 2025 performance “unacceptable” and stating that “consequences will have to happen” for both staff and players. The organization had already tried to course-correct before the tournament, swapping mid laner Humanoid for Poby in a roster shake-up that was supposed to inject new energy into the lineup. It didn’t work.

Despite the historically poor showing at Worlds, Fnatic retained GrabbZ as head coach heading into 2026.

A decade of presence, gone

CEO Sam Mathews acknowledged the gravity of the moment, calling 2026 the hardest year in Fnatic’s history. Mathews promised “big changes across the board.”

GrabbZ pulls no punches

GrabbZ’s comments about the elimination carry a particular weight because he’s not an outsider lobbing criticism. He’s the head coach, the person most directly responsible for translating talent into results on stage. When he describes the outcome as an embarrassment with no positive aspects, he’s implicating himself in the failure as much as anyone else.

After Worlds 2025, GrabbZ said consequences would follow. He was retained. The roster changes that were made didn’t produce improvement.

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