Fnatic Players and Staff React to Qualifying for TI11

Fnatic were initially thought to be playing in The International 2022 (TI11) SEA Regional Qualifiers after the team missed out on a direct invitation to TI11. However later today they found out that they will be receiving the final direct invitation slot ahead of Outsider after Valve made a statement regardings its calculation of the Dota Pro Circuit(DPC) standings. Valve confirmed that Fnatic will be the second SEA representative alongside Boom Esports to receive a direct invitation to TI11. Following the news, Fnatic’s players and staff reacted to the announcement in disbelief.

Fnatic Players and Staff Reactions to Valve’s Announcement

Fnatic players and staff were in disbelief after the announcement was made, as the Southeast Asian team are currently in Thailand for GAMERS GALAXY: Dota 2 Invitational HatYai Thailand. Here are some of the reactions:

Jaunuel

Fnatic support Jaunuel "Jaunuel" Arcilla could not believe the news when he woke up to read it in the morning on his Twitter page.

Jabz

Fnatic's captain and offlaner Anucha "Jabz" Jirawong expresses his excitement on his Facebook page to see the fans at Singapore, the main venue for T11 following the announcement with the quote "See you in Singapore!"

Armel

Fnatic’s mid laner Armel “Armel” Tabios joins Jaunuel as the mid laner reacted on his Facebook account to Valve’s announcement first thing in the morning confirming their direct invite to TI11.

KTM (Fnatic Dota Team Director)

Fnatic’s Team Director Paolo “KTM” Gonzales Bago expresses his shock after finding out that Fnatic qualified for T11 by direct invitation following Valve's announcement.

Celrose (Fnatic Dota Team Manager)

Fnatic’s Team Manager Rocelle “Celrose” Anne Cadavos, also could not believe the announcement following her arrival from Texas in Thailand, alongside Jabz & Djardel “DJ” Mampusti as the two players participated in the Major without the rest of their roster.

Blessing in Disguise for Fnatic as They Qualify for TI11.

It has been a week of ups and downs for Fnatic, as they initially thought that they would be playing in TI11 SEA Regional Qualifiers after barely missing out on a direct invitation to TI11 in their defeat against Beastcoast at the Arlington Major. However, it was later revealed that there was a discrepancy in calculated points between Liquipedia and Valve, meaning that Valve could have the final say in the matter as both Outsiders & Fnatic are in 12th place, depending on Liquipedia & Valve’s calculations.

It was announced earlier today that Fnatic will be receiving the final invitation ahead of Outsiders by Valve after the Dota 2 developers made a statement on Twitter regarding the situation, saying that “they are aware of the discrepancy regarding how the DPC standings are calculated when compared to unofficial sources. The DPC website reflects the official standings for the 2021-2022 season.”.

Thankfully for Fnatic, Beastcoast's victory over Outsiders in the Arlington Major earlier this weekend turned out to be a blessing in disguise as their victory prevented Outsiders from jumping over Fnatic in the official DPC standings. However, the Dota 2 community are understandably angry at Valve for its lack of clarity on the matter and its discreditation of Liquipedia.

Following Valve’s announcement, the 12 teams that will receive a direct invite to TI11 are finalized with the addition of Fnatic instead of Outsiders. As for Fnatic, they will be playing in the GAMERS GALAXY: Dota 2 Invitational HatYai Thailand followed by ESL One Malaysia 2022 with their full roster following the conclusion of the Arlington Major.