Talon Esports Destroys Fnatic’s Last Dance & Are Crowned Champions of BTS Pro Series S14 SEA
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Talon Esports have officially been crowned as the champions of the BTS Pro Series S14: Southeast Asia (SEA) after beating Fnatic in the Grand Finals ahead of its upcoming trip to Peru for the upcoming Lima Major. The Grand Finals became a must-watch within the SEA community as the series was Fnatic’s last in the Dota 2 competitive scene before its temporary withdrawal.
While Fnatic showed glimpses of hope in Game One despite the loss, the absence of Jaunuel "Jaunuel" Arcilla for the rest of the series was heavily felt as Fnatic lost 0-3 to Talon Esports in its final series before it exits Dota 2.
Fnatic vs Talon Esports: Match recap and highlights
With the Grand Finals being Fnatic’s last appearance in Dota 2, the team is looking to give the organization a win before its departure from the region. However, Talon Esports were looking to spoil Fnatic’s last dance.
During their last encounter in the Dota Pro Circuit (DPC), Fnatic shocked the community by finally winning a series against Talon Esports, after losing 6 consecutive series which ended up relegating the team into Division II for the first time in history.
Fnatic were forced to play with Execration’s Juan "BDz" Manalo & Park "March" Tae-won as stand-ins from Game Two onwards, as Jaunuel "Jaunuel" Arcilla was unable to continue due to his residential area experiencing a blackout.
Recap
In Game One, Fnatic opted for a robust yet effective draft in Magnus for Kim "Gabbi" Santos & Pangolier for Armel "Armel" Tabios. Talon Esports on the other hand went for Puck for Rafli "Mikoto" Rahman. Despite the quiet early game, the mid-game saw all the action as both teams constantly exchanged blows, however Fnatic looked to be the better team as they were able to constantly picked off Nuengnara "23savage" Teeramahanon’s Templar Assassin in teamfights. However, Mikoto’s outstanding plays on the Puck allowed Talon Esports to slowly come back and take Game One after 41 minutes.
In Game Two, Talon Esports opted for a more stable draft in the Faceless Void-Batrider combo while Fnatic went for Slark for Gabbi. Fnatic crumbled under pressure as Talon’s core heroes were gaining advantages. With no way to delay the game long enough for its core heroes to achieve their late-game potential, Fnatic were forced to tap out after 16 minutes.
Game Three saw Talon returning to its Nature’s Prophet pickup for Anucha "Jabz" Jirawong while Fnatic does the same with Magnus for Gabbi. However, the early game saw a repeat of Game Two where Talon Esports just simply dismantled Fnatic’s strategies from the get-go. Despite Fnatic’s stubbornness to defend its base to the last man, the team knew its time in the competitive scene was over as they called “GG” just before the 24th minute mark.
Highlights
Here are some highlights of the series.
Following the win, Talon Esports will be looking to use the momentum for the upcoming trip to the Lima Major. As for Fnatic, this marked an end of an era for the organization as the organization has temporarily withdrawn from the Dota 2 competitive scene.
