Months after a heartbreaking departure from the League of Legends European Championship, the Unicorns of love returned to their home arena in Berlin, to the delight of their once-heartbroken fans.

When UoL's EU LCS franchising bid failed last year, they were left with no home to call their own. It was time to move on and relegate those times to nostalgia.

There would be no more crazy LEC base races, no reckless plays on Summoners' Rift that spiked heart rates across the board (or garnered mockery, depending on who you ask), and no more crushing European regional qualifier runs, where they failed at or near the final steps three years in a row.

As a result, the Mallant family no longer attended the show donning their colors as they did every week from 2015 to 2018 in Berlin. The fan club, the Love Hurts Crew, faded from view; some vowed never to attend the LEC ever again.

The team then decided to move to Russia for another shot at the world championship in a brand new league. After a tense summer split campaign in the LCL, the Unicorns of Love earned a golden opportunity to qualify; this time around, they would not be denied, beating Vega Squadron 3-2 and making worlds for the first time in their existence, which coincidentally kicked off inside their former LEC home in Berlin this week.

"That Unicorns of Love made it to worlds, I feel, is the biggest gift. We finally made it," Fabian "Sheepy" Mallant said. "It's been such a fascinating ride."

They returned to the Berlin LEC Studios on Wednesday to a raucous crowd shouting their names, wearing onesies, and cheering them on as they beat Clutch Gaming.

"Seeing the fans is amazing; we have so many dedicated fans," Sheepy said. "The people that have been supporting me, I feel more than grateful. [It's] something you can't buy with money, it's something that is given. I'm extremely grateful.

"I'm really, really happy to be back here. This feels like home; I've spent four and a half years here already."

When the team failed their franchising bid, Sheepy had no choice but to move away from the organization he built, as he sought to build a sustainable future for himself in the scene. He had to carve a new path, and find a new home.

"There [were] a lot of thoughts [in] my head about what I should be doing," Sheepy said. "I had a lot of different offers."