Fnatic vs Team Vitality

We’ve finally come to the playoffs. The moment we’ve all been waiting for. The regular portion of the split is fun and all, but for a good majority of it, we’re not exactly watching the highest level of play. We’re seeing teams develop, build cohesion and form an identity, and that doesn’t always warrant a lot of entertainment – although there are exceptions.

The first inaugural franchised LEC split was, by all accounts, a resounding success. Saying that it delivered would be an understatement. In fact, we can say that it was one of the most exciting splits in the region’s history – and that’s saying something.

So it came as no surprise that the first quarterfinal match-up promises just as much entertainment. We have a clash between the reigning champions – Fnatic, and the frequent albeit inconsistent challengers that redefine the word “volatility” every time they play – Team Vitality.

This is a hype match-up in every way, shape, and form. That said, had it happened just a couple of weeks ago, our prediction would have been much more layered, much harder. Had this clash occurred just a couple of weeks ago, we would have been inclined to believe Vitality’s strength. But as it stands right now, anything other than a relatively dominant and swift 3:0/3:1 for Fnatic seems like a stretch.

Fnatic are simply on another level right now – both individually, as well as a five-man unit. They’re the most successful team in the second half of the Spring Split, and they’ve won eight games straight. That means they were able to take down the who’s who of the LEC – teams like G2 Esports, Splyce, Schalke, Team Vitality, and even Origen. They didn’t stumble regardless of the opponent even though everyone thought they would after such a horrendous start of the split.

Their mind-blowing resurgence is downright staggering, and it is a narrative that we’ve become accustomed to whenever Fnatic steps foot on the LEC stage. They’re a unique team in every regard, and watching them is an absolute pleasure. Right now, they’re the strongest, most flexible and layered team that Europe has to offer – and that’s saying something. They might not have the best players role-for-role, but they’re playing like a well-oiled machine and they’re showing no signs of stopping. Teams should be able to go blow-for-blow in general, but once Fnatic want to close things out, once they decide it’s time to end things, they go into overdrive and simply demolish their opposition.

They all stepped up immensely and we’re finally seeing glimpses of 2018 Fnatic.

Vitality, on the other hand, simply reached one of their patented low points over the last couple of weeks. They looked increasingly more lost and out of sync as time went on, and it’s hard to understand why. They basically just imploded, even though they had all the right tools in order to finish second once all was said and done. Regardless, they’re deceptively strong – even though they might not be particularly capable or dangerous right now. You can never count them out – that’s just the way they are. They have exceptional highs when they’re able to tango with the best teams in the world, but also abysmal lows when they looked like a freshly assembled team of five solo queue randoms.

Sometimes you can see both iterations in just a single match. That’s just the Vitality way. We don’t know how strong they currently are, and they had two weeks to prepare, recharge their batteries and fix their issues. Regardless, betting against Fnatic right now would simply be ludicrous. They’re set up for success and they have an incredibly high chance of defending their LEC throne yet again.

That said, Vitality are a tough nut to crack. They’re a momentum-based team, and if they come out of the gates swinging there’s no telling what they could do. They’re exceptional when they manage to impose their playstyle, so expect one heck of a series that could, in theory, go all the way.