Fnatic Ends G2's Season And Secures Worlds Qualification
A rivalry as old as time, it was always destined for the script to feature Fnatic versus G2 Esports, with one going on to place in the 2021 World Championships, and the other going home to lick their wounds.
Almost like a prophecy to be fulfilled, the two European League of Legends giants collided head first in the Summer playoff's, with a ticket to Shenzhen as the reward for the victor.
Fnatic looked to lay doubters to rest. In the words of their CEO, Sam Matthews, the side looked to rubbish taunts on "a washed-up mid, a rookie jungle, selling our ‘best player’, a team director who failed OG, and an ADC who’s ‘never made worlds’."
G2 Esports also had their own set of sceptic critics to wrong, having had a topsy-turvy season as their dynasty over Europe looked to be under threat.
With a place at the most lucrative and exposed tournament in esports, Fnatic was able to pull off a comeback for the ages and dumbed G2 out of the 2021 season.
Fnatic Beat G2 Esports To Qualify For Worlds 2021
After selling Bot-lane phenomenon Martin "Rekkles" Larsson to G2 prior to the league's kick-off, the onus was on Fnatic to showcase why their underdog status was not one to be taken lightly. Having pushed G2 to the maximum in a 32-minute Game 1, they faced an uphill battle to overcome their cumbersome foes.
However, after a convincing fightback in Game 2 and an impressive defensive display in Game 3, despite a loss, momentum was swinging in Fnatic's favour as G2's attack began to run out of ideas and stamina.
With Adam "Adam" Maanane taking the reins for Fnatic's feisty forward affray, Fnatic took back-to-back games to secure the victory and book a direct flight from London to Shenzhen.
Fnatic will now go up against Rogue for a place in the EU Grand Finals versus MAD Lions. The winners between Fnatic and Rogue will also determine which team will be filtered into the automatic Group Stages at Worlds, with the loser being placed in the Play-ins.
As for G2, their quest for Worlds supremacy has been squandered before the championships have even commenced. Having been defeated in the semi-finals in 2020 and 2018, and earned a silver medal in 2019, G2 has fallen from a top-four team to fourth in Europe behind Fnatic, Rogue, and MAD Lions.
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The EU behemoths have appeared at the World Championships on every attempt, starting in 2016. Despite having never won the major global tournament, G2 has always been seen as one of the more superior teams in the world.
To rub salt in the wounds of G2, recently departed Luka "Perkz" Perković cemented his spot on the plane too, having beaten TSM in the LCS Championships with Cloud9. The Bot-laner and his new organisation will face 100 Thieves for an automatic Group Stage seeding, with Team Liquid also having reached Worlds.
Worldwide fans of League of Legends will also be pleased to see the return of The Unkillable Demon at Worlds, as Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok and his T1 side have overcome their 2020 setback and qualified for the stage that they have previously owned.
