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Rhuckz reportedly set to be new starting support for Fnatic in 2023
Fnatic TQ support Rúben "Rhuckz" Barbosa is reportedly set to move up to starting position for the 2023 season according to sources from journalist Marián "Eros" Stoica with Blix.gg.
RHUCKZ FOR FNATIC
According to sources from journalist Marián "Eros" Stoica with Blix.gg, Rúben "Rhuckz" Barbosa, current support for Fnatic's SuperLeague (SuperLiga) team in Spain, Fnatic TQ. Rhuckz and Fnatic TQ took first place in the regular Spring season for SuperLiga Spring 2022, eventually going on to win the entire SuperLiga Spring Playoffs.
Currently, veteran LEC support Zdravets "Hylissang" Iliev Galabov is set as Fnatic's (FNC) starting support. Hylissang has been a pillar of FNC, signed for the team back in December 2017, playing for the organization for four years.
A PEEK AT RHUCK'Z BRIEF WORLDS PERFORMANCE
Rhuckz was able to show off his chops at the Worlds 2022 Play-In portion, where he subbed in two games for Hylissang after the long-time support contracted COVID-19. Fnatic's ADC Elias "Upset" Lipp also contracted COVID-19 and had to subbed out during this time for Rhuck'z teammate on Fnatic TQ, Louis "BEAN" Schmitz.
Across Rhuckz's two games, he had an impressive support stat-line of 0/0/22. Fnatic faced off against Oceania's Chiefs Esports Club (CHF) and North America's Evil Geniuses (EG), winning both of these games with Rhuckz subbed in.
Rhuckz showed off his Leona skills against EG, a champion whose win rate at Worlds was not great. In the Play-in stage, Leona's win rate was 8-10, and across the rest of Worlds, Leona's win rate was 2-7.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR FNATIC?
It helped Rhuckz he was side-by-side with his fellow Fnatic TQ teammate in BEAN, as the two players already had pre-built synergy playing together in Spain's SuperLeague. Regardless, it's no small feat to emergency sub into a major LEC team, and perform well on the Worlds stage, no less playing with three other players you more or less have no synergy with.
Rhuckz is clearly a capable support, and it will be exciting to see how he gels with now-established Fnatic players like Martin "Wunder" Nordahl Hansen and Iván "Razork" Martín Díaz.
With Rhuckz's debut in the LEC coming in 2023, he will make history being the first Portuguese support starting in the LEC.
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Image source provided by Riot Games.
