Rekkles said that joining T1 only temporarily put his personal struggles "on hold", even after the team won Worlds this year.
T1 Academy support and European League of Legends (LoL) star Martin "Rekkles" Larsson has announced his departure from T1 CL just before the start of the 2025 season on Thursday evening (13 November). This news follows only 11 days after T1’s historic victory at the League of Legends World Championship 2024, where they claimed their fifth title with a 3-2 victory over Bilibili Gaming in the grand finals.
Expressing their gratitude, T1 acknowledged the European player’s contributions in a farewell message on their official X account, stating "Today, we part ways with Rekkles by mutual agreement. We sincerely thank him for his decision to start a new career in Korea and for giving his best effort throughout this year. T1 will continue to support him in his future endeavours."
Rekkles was invited by T1 general manager Becker Jung to join the T1 Challengers roster in 2023. Since joining T1 in December 2023, he spent the 2024 season playing within the organization’s Challengers division.
At Worlds 2024, he joined the T1 roster as a Substitute. Although he didn’t have the chance to play a game at Worlds, T1’s Worlds 2024 documentaries have shown Rekkles’ all-out support for the organisation and their starting roster.
Personal reasons behind Rekkles' departure from T1
Rekkles shared a heartfelt message across his social media platforms alongside the announcement of his exit from T1.
The news took many fans by surprise, especially following T1’s recent Worlds victory. Rekkles opened up about his reasons, shedding light on personal challenges he faced leading up to his time in Korea.
“When I received the offer from Becker last year to come to Korea and try out for the LCK CL team, I was not in a great place mentally,” he explained. “I had recently been diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum, and combined with a family accident and a couple of tough years since leaving Fnatic in 2020, I was struggling. Because of this, I was actually leaning toward taking a break for the 2024 season.”
However, the chance to play for a top-tier organisation like T1, which stands as the most decorated in LoL Esports, was an opportunity Rekkles couldn’t pass up. Despite this, he noted that joining T1 only temporarily put his personal struggles "on hold."
“Now, I believe it is time for me to address those challenges, and to do that, I need to be in Sweden close to my family,” he continued, expressing his need to return home to prioritise his well-being.
Rekkles acknowledged that his decision might come as a surprise, especially in light of T1’s recent victory at Worlds alongside "ZOFGK + KTR." However, he explained, "I promised myself to stay committed to this plan, regardless of results or temporary emotions. This is me keeping that promise, and I hope you will understand that it comes from a place of wanting to stay in the game and continue improving."
Competing from home
Although he is leaving T1, Rekkles intends to keep competing professionally in League of Legends. "Thankfully, I have been fortunate to receive an offer that allows me to continue playing professionally in the 2025 season from home," he shared, adding, "To put it in League of Legends terms, I am finally taking a 'recall'—a chance to go back, refill my health and mana, buy some essential items and upgrade my skills before re-entering the map."
Reflecting on his journey, Rekkles noted, "I left home in 2013 when I was just 16, and now, nearly 12 years later at the age of 28, I get the chance to reset."
For him, this move is about sustaining his career: "I want to play for as long as possible, and when I imagine the years ahead, I realize this change could help make that goal achievable. Longevity is incredibly important to me at this stage of my career."
“I want to play for as long as possible, and when I imagine the years ahead, I realise this change could help make that goal achievable. Longevity is incredibly important to me at this stage of my career,” Rekkles said.
While his next move remains unconfirmed, Rekkles expressed his appreciation for T1 and his experience in Korea.
"I will always be grateful for my time with T1, not just for the experience but for how it has helped me grow as a player and a person. Coming to Korea without experience in the role or knowing the language was a challenge, but T1 believed in me anyway."
Thanking those who supported him, he continued, "I want to thank my teammates, coaches and staff at T1 HQ for helping me along the way, and to all of our fans for supporting us. It has been an honor to wear the T1 badge."
