Fnatic falls as DRX clinch Champions Seoul playoffs

In the second matchup of Day 5 of VALORANT Champions Seoul 2024, Fnatic faced off against DRX in a highly anticipated clash. This historic matchup, which has seen the two teams meet every year since Champions 2022, added another thrilling chapter to their rivalry.

DRX eliminated Fnatic in 2022, only for Fnatic to return the favor in 2023. The 2024 encounter, however, saw DRX secure a spectacular upset, winning 2-0 and showing the world that their resurgence was no fluke.

Although Fnatic were poised to win this matchup, they struggled throughout the series, as noted by their in-game leader, Boaster:

"I think today we just didn't show a very good game. We weren't really listening at important moments and made micro errors. On both Abyss and Lotus, we knew roughly where they were going, but just didn't know what to do."

Fnatic's head coach Chris "Elmapuddy" Tebbit also highlighted the difficulty of translating practice into performance on stage:

"I think the official is always different to practice. So, I think there's a lot of stuff we can learn from... We were unable to play in a way where we weren't giving picks, ending up in too many 4v5s. Our attack was awkward, and our transitions around the map weren't smooth. There's a few things I feel like we covered in practice, but it's different in an official match."

Elmapuddy also critiqued his team's timid playstyle:

"We were playing a little timid, not fighting together as we should. Compared to our other games since we got Hiro, we weren't confident and didn't use our utility effectively. It felt slow and sluggish."

Despite the loss, Fnatic remains optimistic with another shot at the playoffs. Elmapuddy also commented on their recent mentality compared to earlier in the year:

"We've had a chat and no one's sulking. We're in a better headspace than earlier in the year. Let's learn from this, move forward, and we have a good environment for that right now."

As Fnatic prepares to face the winner of Bilibili Gaming vs. KRU Esports, their resilience and determination will be put to the test. Despite the setback, the team remains in high spirits and focused on learning from their mistakes. With a positive mindset and the drive to improve, Fnatic aims to bounce back stronger and secure their place in the Champions Seoul playoffs.

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Featured Image Source: Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games

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