Fnatic – The IEM Katowice 2019 Disappointment is part of the process

February 24, 2019 | 0 | 749| |

#Fnatic #IEM Katowice 2019

We explore the Fnatic disappointment at IEM Katowice 2019 and attempt to implore the road ahead for the legacy organization

It is indeed tough times for the legacy organization, who failed to land one of the eight spots available at the New Legends Stage, bowing out of the New Challengers Stage with a 1-3 record. Seeded first going into the first round of matches, Vici Gaming shocked Fnatic before Winstrike brought them on the brink of elimination.

The Grayhound win was far from clean and G2 took it upon himself to eliminate Fnatic. As JW rightly hinted, it is like a nightmare for the players and Fnatic fans all around the world. But, does this warrant any steadfast changes? Or is it time to trust the plan in place.

Analysing the Fnatic Results

The vetoes have let Fnatic down at IEM Katowice. (Picture Courtesy - HLTV) — The vetoes have let Fnatic down at IEM Katowice. (Picture Courtesy – HLTV)

Let us digress a bit deeper into how the matches panned out for fnatic at Katowice. The Vici game was much closer than the picture the scoreline tries to paint. Fnatic did not hit double figures on Overpass against Vici. But, they did many things right.

Starting out on the T side, Fnatic mounted a brilliant comeback from 8-1 down to end the half 9-6. On the CT side, it was just a game of economy, which Fnatic lost. The most damning statistic was that Twist and JW failed to land a single AWP kill, which just goes to show how cash-strapped the Swedes were.

Kudos to Vici for the same. But, a lot of the rounds also came to clutches and that is where Vici perhaps won the map. They closed out clutches at crucial junctures, which broke Fnatic and enabled them to drive home the advantage further.

There were a few questions raised over Fnatic’s choice to play Overpass against Vici, which is one of their strongest maps. Their veto process brought out another puzzle, with the Swedes leaving Train in the pool against Winstrike. Winstrike are known to be notoriously good on Train and overall, boast strong individual ability in the present lineup.

The pressure also seemed to be getting to Fnatic, who, despite all the experience at the top level, saw JW and Twist kept quiet by Winstrike. Although JW gave Fnatic some crucial opening kills and was dominant while yielding the AWP, his overall game lacked the usual precision.

Xizt probably went for a looser style of play in the Elimination match against Grayhound, which saw Fnatic record a comfortable series win. But, Fnatic were not exactly dominant on Inferno and Overpass, with Brollan being the highlight of the series.

Drawn against G2, everyone expected it to be an entertaining matchup. The two teams produced an electric series. JW was dominant on the AWP, outplaying not just Kennys but the entire G2 lineup.

That wasn’t to be enough though, as G2 came back from the Mirage defeat to capture the next two maps comfortably, thus leaving Fnatic and it’s fans in despair.

Coming onto the matchups, Vici Gaming surprised everyone this major, with their plays. A favourite for 0-3, they came close to qualifying and looked solid against every opposition, except NRG, who swept them away.

Winstrike are the resident darkhorse with upset potential while G2 have showcased resilience throughout their journey at IEM Katowice so far.

The Road Ahead for Fnatic

Let us now take a look at the bigger picture for Fnatic. It’s good to see Krimz carrying off from where he left things off in 2018, with his performances earning him a place in the HLTV Top 20 Players list. Fnatic seem to have found a gem in Brollan. The youngster did not look fazed by the situation, even though he has had better days.

Twist was underwhelming and that could be down to the role he plays in Fnatic. Xizt was his usual self. The one disappointment came at the hands of JW, who had a really off event. The form of the Primary AWPer often decides the fate of a team at Majors.

We have seen previous examples of it. An on-fie Skadoodle saw Cloud 9 win the Major. On the other hand, s1mple came close more than once, with Natus Vincere and Liquid, thanks in part to his form with the AWP.

An underwhelming KennyS saw G2 have to play in the Challengers Stage at Katowice. It is something the great players learn from and we are sure JW will. All the pieces are there for Fnatic, perhaps apart from a genuine role player instead of Twist.

Perhaps, instead of hurrying for changes, as has become the norm for all top teams all across the Counter Strike world, Fnatic should trust the process.

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