Fnatic League of Legends Director 'Dardo' steps down

After nearly five years at the helm of the Fnatic League of Legends team, Javier "Dardo" Zafra will be stepping down from his role as Team Director for the organization heading into the 2025 season.

With Fnatic experiencing an extended dry spell in the LEC, the need for change grew increasingly apparent. Though Dardo's successor is yet to be named, there is no doubt Fnatic will do everything in their power to return the team to its former glory.

For now, there's nothing left to do but thank Dardo for his years of service for the black and orange, and hope his future elsewhere proves more fruitful than his past under Fnatic did.

Will Fnatic return to the top?

The departure of Dardo as Team Director for Fnatic marks the beginning of a new chapter for the historic League of Legends organization. Though Dardo's commitment to the Fnatic name cannot be put to question, something clearly just was not working anymore.

Fnatic, once synonymous with European titles, has failed to lift even a single LEC trophy over the course of Dardo's five year tenure. The team's showings haven't necessarily been all bad, with Fnatic finishing second a total of seven times over the last five years, six of which came at the hands of European rivals G2 Esports. 

"I want to be clear: I understand the frustration and I have nothing but respect and appreciation for Fnatic fans. While some criticism felt deeply personal, quite disproportionate, and lacking important context - often placing me as the sole focal point - I understand that it came from a place of passion for Fnatic, a passion I deeply share."

- Javier "Dardo" Zafra

For a team of Fnatic's standing, however, second place is simply not good enough. Now, heading into the 2025 LEC season, the team will feature a revamped bot lane, as well as a new Team Director. Whether the changes will be enough to take Fnatic back to their rightful throne will only be answered with time.

Fnatic were once the team to beat in Europe, but that is all in the past now. (Credit: LoL Esports / Riot Games)

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Image source: Wojciech Wandzel/Riot Games​

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