For Fnatic, it may look like another year, another appearance at ESL One Frankfurt, but a lot happened over the course of the year and the team has changed drastically. Usually, Fnatic as an organisation focuses a lot on European teams and players, but this time their hunt for a new squad has led them to Malaysia. What will this new Fnatic and former Team Malaysia squad have in store for us this weekend?

The roster

After the disband of the European Fnatic squad at the end of last year, it was only a matter of time before Fnatic stepped back into the ring. And this time they are bringing the heavyweights to ESL One Frankfurt! Names like Ohaiyo, Mushi and kYxY are well known to all avid Dota 2 fans as they share a long list of accolades and TI attendances between them. Mix in the likes of JoHnNy, who competed at TI4 as part of Arrow Gaming, and the versatile Kecik Imba and suddenly you have a star studded squad with the ability to win a series against whatever opponent is thrown at them.

Recent performances

While other teams have to deal with second place curses (we’re looking at you, Cloud9), Fnatic is taking it to the next level with three consecutive third places finishes in recent tournaments. Even though they haven’t landed any big tournament wins recently, they have been the epitome of consistency at the highest level. After all, losses against Team Secret and LGD Gaming are nothing to be ashamed of and with ESL One’s single elimination format, anything is possible for the Malaysians.

Patch 6.84

Current Record on patch: 16-12

Most picked		Most banned
14x		9x
13x		5x
11x		4x

Whenever you watch Fnatic play, a lot of the focus is put on Mushi, their space creator and all around source for ridiculous plays. Hard to believe that not so long ago, Mushi actually took over one of the support roles for the team, with Kecik Imba taking the reigns in mid lane. While the team enjoyed their fair share of success with that setup, they ultimately reverted the change and put Mushi back into the position, which made him the MVP back at TI3. He has not lost any of his signature versatility, as displayed by his picks, which range from meta heroes like Shadow Fiend to unorthodox mids like Weaver.

Whatever you do, do not underestimate this new Fnatic squad. The Western scene may not necessarily be acquainted with their playstyle and what to expect from the Malaysian juggernauts, but you can be sure that they will not roll over quietly in Frankfurt, as shown by their consistently strong results. So, if you still have Fnatic gear from the good old times, it’s time to bring it to the Commerzbank Arena and if you aren’t decked out yet, we’ve got a special offer just for you!

Get your Fnatic gear in the ESL Shop - at a discount!

Simply use the discount code: FNATICFRANKFURT2015 and you will receive 15% off all Fnatic merchandise in the ESL Shop. This offer is only valid until June 19th, so get yours now before it’s too late!

Stay up to date with the latest news regarding the event by following @ESLDota2. Should you still need a ticket to ESL One Frankfurt, you’re in luck. Regular day and weekend passes are still available, so grab yours while you can. And if you want to get familiar with some of the other contestants, then check out our other team previews:

• Can Team Secret carry their impeccable form into ESL One Frankfurt 2015?
• Alliance are looking to bounce back at ESL One Frankfurt 2015
• After twice being the bridesmaid, will Evil Geniuses’ third ESL One see them finally be the bride?
• Can Cloud9 take the next step on the ESL One stage?
• Can Vici Gaming be the first back-to-back ESL One Dota 2 champions?