Viva La Fnatic: How Fnatic Valorant won the VCT LOCK//IN Sao Paulo 2023

One of Europe's best Fnatic completed their long journey last weekend. After 764 days of establishment, Europe's finest achieved what they set their eyes on. At the Ginasio do Ibirapuera, Fnatic Valorant defeated LOUD in an anxiety-inducing Bo5 series to become the VCT LOCK//IN Champions.

The journey of Fnatic is that of persistence and hard work. After failing to achieve an international LAN win for two years, Fnatic battled some of the best teams in the world to complete their journey. Let's look at Fnatic's journey to become the world champion.

Fnatic's Entry in Valorant and Journey:

The Swedish Esports organization entered Valorant after signing F/A team SUMN FC. The F/A team consisted of Boaster, Doma, mistic, Moe40, and tsack. Soon, Fnatic brought in Mini as the coach and Magnum and Derke to fill in for the void left by Moe40 and tsack. This made the core of Fnatic we know today. The squad made it to the first event International Valorant LAN and the Finals against Sentinels. Despite showing some interesting plays, Fnatic failed to win a single map against Fnatic and crumbled to the Tenz Supremacy. Fnatic returned to the International stage with Valorant Champions 2021 but fell to KRU after three maps. Despite being seen as one of the best teams in the EU, Fnatic needed more in pure firepower.

Fnatic entered 2022 with BraveAf taking Doma's role. With the roster change, Fnatic placed third at the VCT EMEA Challengers 1. But at the VCT Master Reykjavik 2022, Fnatic had to play without BraveAF and Derke. They did not win a single match. After the first international LAN, Fnatic brought in Enzo and Alfajer to replace Magnum and BraveAf. With the additions, Fnatic won the EMEA challengers for the first time but fell to FPX, the eventual winners at VCT Masters Copenhagen.

At Valorant Champions 2022, Fnatic made a strong run but once again fell to a strong team in DRX and finished with a 5th-6th. Thus ending another International run without a trophy.

Problems with Fnatic Valorant:

Fnatic Valorant always had a strong head on their shoulders in Boaster and Mini. Fnatic always came up with innovative strategies and interesting set plays. But when the time came, Fnatic always missed their shots. And despite looking like a strong team, Fnatic lost the game and was on the receiving side of upsets. Moreover, the team relied too much on the IGL's calls and did not make a strong individual impact, except for Derke and Alfajer later.

After securing the Valorant partnership, Fnatic had clear goals in mind. Fnatic benched Mistic and Enzo and found the star players in their roles. For Enzo, Fnatic got Guild's LEO, a player known to be extremely flexible and known for his stable aim and clutches. For Mistic, Fnatic got Chronicle, the VCT Master's Berlin Champion, and one of the best players in Valorant 2021. Chronicle is exceptionally versatile and is a star flex player. Even with just Leo at the Superdome, Fnatic annihilated everyone, and they were dubbed the EU Superteam.

Fnatic Valorant at VCT LOCK//IN 2023:

Fnatic was already an S-tier team going into the tournament. Especially with four star-players in their roles and a strong IGL, Fnatic seemed like a force to be reckoned with. But in their first match-up, they had to face Sentinels, the Americas superteam, and Fnatic had doubters. But they exceeded expectations when they defeated the superteam without dropping a map. Fnatic faced Furia in the next round and met one of the most interesting Haven compositions of VCT LOCK//IN. The team reigned superior over its competitors, winning the brawl on individual prowess, decision-making, and flexibility.

Fnatic in the Omega Finals:

In the 100 Thieves match-up, Fnatic just read the 100 Thieves' defense and attack like a book and won the game despite a minor hiccup in the second half of the second map. Finally, they faced Natus Vincere, a team who eliminated them from VCT Master's Copenhagen. NaVi was a formidable opponent and the only other team to reach the finals without dropping a map. NaVi was also the favored team in the fixture, but to everyone's surprise, Fnatic defeated Natus Vincere in a 3-0 fashion. Establishing themselves as one of the best teams in the world. Fnatic reached the finals as the favorite to win, and they secured the early 2-0 lead.

Fnatic in the Grand Finals:

The first two dominant wins made it look like Fnatic had completed their job. But LOUD returned stronger, winning the third and fourth maps to force the fifth. In the fifth map, LOUD secured an 11-3 lead. Once again, Fnatic came close but was on the cusp of another disappointment. But the tables turned. Fnatic secured the fourth, the fifth, and eventually secured the map point before LOUD. And in Overtime, they secured the VCT LOCK//IN trophy. The international title that alluded them for so long was finally theirs, and they achieved that after defeating some of the strongest teams in the competition.

How Fnatic won VCT LOCK//IN:

Unlike other superteams, which eventually change their playstyles after getting upgrades, Fnatic stuck to being the Fnatic of the old. Fnatic was always strategically one of the best teams in the world. They seemed to be a step ahead, but they often lacked firepower. At the VCT LOCK//IN, Fnatic looked like their old self, a well-drilled team with protocols for every situation and set plays to catch everyone off-guard.

The additions in Leo and Chronicle just slipped into Fnatic's structure and gave them the firepower necessary to execute Mini and Boaster's plans. Much of this lies with Leo and Chronicle, as their flexibility helped Fnatic look like the superteam they were meant to be.

Fnatic's half-shield buys also gave them 91% gun rounds, helping them gain an advantage over the enemy team. Additionally, the utility usage was still top-notch, and the weird trap plays and utility combinations of Old Fnatic were still part of the new Fnatic. But when they failed, the new Fnatic did not struggle like the old Fnatic. Fnatic won multiple 4v5's even after losing their spear in Derke early.

A big part of Fnatic's strength lies in the set plays and making the opponents uncomfortable, which still worked. Fnatic's opponents always faced multiple opponents and were traded. Even without the set plays, the Fnatic members could clutch rounds. Fnatic was always a strong team, but the star players made it stronger individually.

The Road ahead Fnatic:

Fnatic made many mistakes and still has a long way to go. A prominent example of this is the loss of the maps against LOUD. As explained by Derke, Fnatic faced communication issues during the three maps. They were under immense pressure and seemed to crack under it. But Fnatic composed themselves and completed a strong comeback from an 11-3 deficit against one of the strongest teams in the world. This goes on to showcase the strength of Fnatic. The increased clutch potential and the taste of what's coming for the VCT EMEA and the rest of VCT for the rest of the year.

Fnatic will return to action with VCT EMEA starting first week of April. And we will be able to see our favorite team dominate the server again.

Image Credits: Colin Young-Wolf // Valorant Champions Tour

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