Cover image source: @EPICENTER
Fnatic faced their second consecutive last-place finish at a DPC Major as they were eliminated from EPICENTER at the hands of Forward Gaming. The one-sided bo1 affair is a brief summary of how out of shape Fnatic are in the run-up to TI9, for which they have already qualified.
After showing some good Dota at Dreamleague, where they finished 3rd, Fnatic have succumbed to two last-place finishes - one at the MDL Paris Disneyworld Major and now in Moscow. What started out to be a good season and what established Fnatic as SEA’s top team is quickly fading as TNC are looking like a completely new team with Heen as their coach.
2 losses to RNG in the group stages forced Fnatic to start in the lower bracket, where they took on NA’s Forward Gaming. While most would have expected the match to be close, what followed was absolute demolition as Fnatic looked way in over their heads in the match. While shock results are to be expected in bo1’s, the nature of the loss is quite concerning as Fnatic picked up just 1 kill in a 30-minute encounter.
With CCnC’s Ember Spirit firing on all cylinders, there was little Fnatic could do as their gameplan crumbled under the pressure that FWD put on them. With this, another disappointing run for Fnatic comes to an end as the team finds themselves in an awkward position leading up to TI. Will the team stick together and work on their mistakes or is a roster change required to reignite the fire?
