Xpeke, Cyanide leave Fnatic

This article was originally published on GameSpot's sister site onGamers.com, which was dedicated to esports coverage.

Fnatic has officially bid goodbye to two of their longest serving players as Enrique "xPeke" Cedeño and Lauri "Cyanide" Happonen part ways with the organization.

Xpeke and Cyanide’s departure signals an end of an era for Fnatic. The two players have been at the forefront of Fnatic’s League of Legends team ever since its inception and have helped the team to multiple first place tournament finishes, including three European LCS championships and a victory at the 2011 League of Legends World Championship.

Earlier this November, Fnatic parted ways with their AD carry, Martin ‘Rekkles’ Larson, who left the team to join European LCS rivals, Alliance. Xpeke’s and Cyanide’s departure means that three out of the five players that represented Fnatic at the 2014 League of Legends World Championship will not be playing with Fnatic for the 2015 season.

In a statement posted on his Facebook Page, Cyanide stated that he will be retiring from competitive League of Legends and that his heart wasn’t in competitive gaming anymore.

“I always told everyone that the time to retire as a pro is when you lose the passion for the game,” Cyanide said. “I still enjoy playing League more casually, just not the insane hours required to be a top competitive player in tournaments”

“This is not the end!” he continues, “I'll start streaming frequently and making videos and hope my best these 1,000 000 hours of League experience won't go to absolute waste.”

Xpeke meanwhile will be continuing with competitive League of Legends, but under his own brand.

“There is only one reason for me to leave Fnatic, and that is to fulfill this dream I have had for a long time now, ” Xpeke said in a statement on Fnatic’s website. “My dream is to make my own team, and I believe that this is the time to do it.”

Forming a new brand is never easy, but players have done it before. George “HotshotGG” Georgallidis parted ways with “MessiahWins” to set up his own brand, Counter Logic Gaming, in 2010 and developed it into one of League of Legends’ most popular brands. More recently, Carlos "Ocelote" Rodríguez Santiago left SK Gaming last year to create Gamers 2.

Xpeke will be announcing his new brand at the Gamergy convection, which takes place at the Trade Fair Insitution of Madrid (IFEMA) from the 5th to the 7th of December. Xpeke has teased the announcement on his Facebook page.

Xpeke and Cyanide’s decision to leave Fnatic will certainly be a blow to the UK-based organization, and consequences are already being felt as the team has opted not to attended Intel Extreme Masters Cologne while they finalize their new roster for the 2015 season.

Image credits: gametv.vn