After qualifying for ESL One Manila through the SEA qualifiers, Fnatic managed to repeat that exact same feat yet again for ESL One Frankfurt yesterday! Check out how SEA’s strongest team managed to secure their second consecutive ESL One qualification this year.
The qualifier
While Fnatic managed to lock down the top spot once more, those who expected a mirrored bracket performance in the ESL One Manila qualifier were disappointed in the first round of the main qualifier.
Manila qualifier finalists Warriors Gaming were not even close to replicating their great run this time around and got knocked out by Rave right at the start in a decisive 2-0. It was also a disappointing run for Mineski, who were trying to lock down their second ESL One participation but got shown up by Acion Arena.
Fnatic’s main rivals in the SEA scene MVP Phoenix, on the other hand, reacted with a much-improved performance in the ESL One Frankfurt qualifier, brushing aside everyone right up until their met their Kryptonite as expected. Fnatic seem to really have MVP’s number lately, having won 11 of their 16 games against them on patch 6.86.
Fnatic reign supreme
With Mushi continuing to be absent from the team, 343 continued to stand in for Fnatic as in past tournaments, and the roster is developing great synergy in its current form. It wouldn’t be fair to say that Fnatic don’t need Mushi any more, as their latest performances with him were also very encouraging. However, it will certainly be an interesting time for Fnatic once he’s back at full strength and one of the six players has to make way.
Throughout the qualifier each player managed to shine, demonstrating that Fnatic will have quite the luxury problem on their hands. To nobody's surprise, DJ continued his stellar play on whichever hero was thrown at him and he’s quickly developing into one of the most influential role-four supports in all of Dota 2. Miduan kept impressing in the mid role, while 343’s drafts rarely showed any weaknesses. Ohaiyo was wreaking havoc on his Batrider and Net, who was often left in a not-so-safe lane but always managed to turn into a beast by the end of the game nonetheless.
What can we expect from Fnatic in Frankfurt?
Fnatic are simply on a roll at the moment, and they don’t seem to have an equal in their region. All that remains now is to see how they perform against their more diverse opponents at ESL One Frankfurt.
Grab your ticket today to see them in action live!
You can read up on the schedule, teams and news pieces on the official ESL One Frankfurt website, and don’t forget to follow ESL Dota 2 on Twitter and Facebook for the latest tournament coverage and updates. The VODs for the SEA qualifier can be found in joinDOTA's YouTube playlist.