Fnatic target first VCT trophy after 3-0 sweep over EMEA rivals Natus Vincere
It was the matchup that every VALORANT fan had been waiting for at VCT 2023: LOCK//IN 2023. Heading into 2023, Natus Vincere and Fnatic were viewed as the top teams
In each game, fans wondered when exactly Natus Vincere would flip the script on Fnatic and make this series another memorable matchup for the storied rivalry. But as each game passed, the confidence in Natus Vincere began to wane. Truthfully, It was not the start many were expecting from this highly-anticipated series. While the first map on Haven was a close 13-11 affair slightly in favor of Fnatic, the second map on Lotus was not. Lotus’ first half saw Fnatic climb to 10-2 first-half lead over Natus Vincere as Fnatic proved that their new and improved lineup was one many teams would need to fear.
ONE MORE, LET US COOK 👏 pic.twitter.com/cB3hoZjGZz
— FNATIC (@FNATIC) March 3, 2023
Fnatic quickly brought the series to its edge less than two hours into the storied rivalry matchup as Natus Vincere was left wondering what was going wrong. The story of the first two maps saw Natus Vincere’s level of play slowly falling apart to where the storyline of a grand EMEA duel was becoming that of a show of Fnatic dominance.
Map three felt like VALORANT viewers would have a deja vu. Yesterday, we saw LOUD nearly reverse-swept by DRX before pulling the series win out on map five. Once Natus Vincere garnered a favorable start on Fracture, many saw this as the moment that Natus Vincere would break through and make it a series. However, th
There, the lights and production were set. Brazilian fans sat at the edge of their seats awaiting Fnatic’s moment in the spotlight as the sole EMEA representative in the Grand Final. Sitting on 12-round wins, Natus Vincere put up a final fight against Fnatic as they miraculously clawed the final map to an 11-12 scoreline.
wake us up tomorrow for the real match @LOUDgg pic.twitter.com/EAffWr9hI1
— FNATIC (@FNATIC) March 3, 2023
However, this proved to be the moment that showed just how strong Fnatic’s mental resilience was as they put the closing marks on this series with a resounding 3-0 to the Grand Final.
With this win, the VCT 2023: LOCK//IN Grand Final is now set. Fnatic will take on LOUD tomorrow as both teams look to become the champions of VCT 2023: LOCK//IN and grab an extra slot at VCT 2023 Masters Tokyo for their region.
Sage got his start in esports as a volunteer writer in 2016 for esports organization, Dignitas. Since then, he has continued to work on his craft as a journalist and reporter for a number of established esports publications, such as esports.gg, Unikrn, Akshon Esports, Howla, The Player’s Lobby, Nerd Street Gamers, and most recently Dot Esports. Now, as a member of Esports Illustrated’s content team, Sage’s primary duties are centered around creating groundbreaking written and video content about the esports industry that impacts the community in a meaningful way. Sage graduated from Rutgers University with a Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology and Informatics. There, he was a member of the Rutgers Esports Executive Board, both as the head of the fighting game community and a videographer/photographer for the Content team.