Fnatic's long road to Reykjavík

But Fnatic wasn’t quite ready to be a top team in one of the best regions in the competitive FPS.

Understand Fnatic’s plans, meet their early aggression with the right tempo, and they were far from invincible. As the meta advanced, they were not advancing with it, stuck perpetually at the 5th to 8th spot. Two back-to-back losses brutalized the morale on the lineup, one coming in overtime to a dark horse Polish team named Ballista and another in double overtime to an ascending Alliance squad.

Something needed changing and in the world of the FPS, “something” is usually the roster. Moe40 and tsack had been with the team since near the very beginning and though parting was bitter, it was necessary. Only one Challenger tournament left, Fnatic had to make the finals for any chance to make it to Reykjavík

Their strategy feeling sound, Fnatic focused on firepower. Enter Derke and Magnum, two talented young players, one a carry and the other an anchor.

Derke had such sharp aim that Doma, the team’s longtime star, was willing to step off his preferred agents to make space for the team’s new carry. The switch paid dividends as in the last 30 days, Derke scored nearly a kill a round and got the opening kill in nearly a quarter of rounds he played. That 24% entry kill stat is the third highest in EU this last month, beating out powerhouses like Yacine, M1xwell, and Jamppi. In the world of the FPS, those entries secure a man advantage and bring in info that wins rounds.

Magnum holds the ship steady when things get dicey. Over the last month, he reached the second-highest clutch success percentage in EU at 33%. Calm, collected, and strong with information in hand, Magnum is Fnatic’s closer when rounds get close. 

Bringing the two in, Fnatic’s looked considerably better but their success felt far from guaranteed. They lost a set to Acend, getting smoked on the last match, 13-1. The loss didn’t knock them out of the tournament but it lowered their seed and forced them into a bout against Europe’s historic superteam: G2.

Fnatic showed a new level by beating them 2-0, including a stomp on Bind. As the tournament went on, Fnatic shaped an argument for playing the best Bind in the world. On their massive run, they’ve won Bind against G2, Acend, Guild, Gambit, and twice versus Team Liquid.

After clearing out Vitality in another 2-0, Fnatic qualified for the EMEA Finals and for one more shot to make it to Reykjavík. Going into the EMEA Finals, Fnatic had patched up the mid-round flaws that made them fall off even after getting a man-advantage. With more raw shooting power, their attack looked improved too. Those improvements clinched them a 4-0 score in the Group Stage.

But the real challenge would come against Gambit. This organization is a lynchpin in the CIS, which is one of the absolute best regions in FPS history. To top it off, Gambit came in hot off a huge win against FPX (a team touted to be the best in Europe for months).

In Gambit, Fnatic found something of a stylistic foil as well. Traditional to the CIS, Gambit liked to slow-play rounds, applying a gradual pressure that forces the enemy to spend utility and fall into a resource deficit by the round’s last minutes. That was in stark contrast to a Fnatic chock full of aggressive strategies and potent aimers. 

Fnatic overwhelmed Gambit on Icebox in map 1, forcing the CIS team onto a FNC-favored Bind. Here, the duel reached its zenith. Both teams dominated on defense by playing more balanced than before. Gambit and Fnatic both alternated between giving space to set up a strong defensive hold and pushing forward to catch the attacker flat-footed. Gambit went up 9-3 only for Fnatic to come back and win 13-11, qualifying for Valorant’s first international major.

Though the qualification was done, they still had one last duel with Team Liquid. This grand final was a battle of the second winds: two teams that routinely fell off in the mid-season qualifiers only to find their form again when it mattered most. The series was a beautiful duel, going the full 5 games.

After winning 6 straight sets in a row against some of the very best in the world, Fnatic finally fell to Team Liquid. Only this time, the journey was over. This squad of upstarts and strategists had already mounted one of the best turnarounds in competitive Valorant’s young history and completed their long road to Reykjavík. 

They’ve earned a small rest before then, though much of that time will be spent preparing. IGL Boaster and coach mini will have their work set out for them, readying up against the very best teams in the world. Buf it there’s any team that knows how to rise to a challenge, it’s Fnatic.