Fnatic vs SK Gaming Preview: LEC 2023 Summer Group Stage

An improved Fnatic roster challenges SK to a rematch in the first day of groups. Read all in our Fnatic vs SK Gaming preview.

Fnatic has been in excellent shape ever since their latest player trade-in. A solid mix of new and proven talent has done wonders for the legendary org, launching them near the forefront of the current standings. That said, Rekkles and co. still have a long way to go. On top of that, their next step towards winning a 2023 split will be a rematch against their last rivals, SK Gaming. And despite middling results, the German team has been known for their deep runs this season. Will a reinvigorated Fnatic have what it takes to even the score against a powerhouse that has almost denied championship titles to the best in the league twice over?

[embedded content]

Fnatic vs SK Gaming Preview

Fnatic

The boys in black finally found their momentum after what would’ve been a triumphant back-to-back win in the Regular Series, were it not for SK clutching the final win for a spot in Groups. Macro-wise, Fnatic are looking tight, with close to zero hesitation whenever they execute their plays on the rift. And despite suboptimal picks and questionable positioning on the Rift at times, the group has gotten a second wind thanks to Oscarinin’s fantastic synergy with the main roster.

Trymbi has been doing tons of work supporting Fnatic in the midgame as well, as seen with his saves on Yuumi. But while their individual playstyles mesh well together for the most part, they’ve yet to define themselves this year.

Fnatic Roster

• Óscar “Oscarinin” Jiménez
• Iván “Razork” Díaz
• Marek “Humanoid” Brázda
• Oh “Noah” Hyeon-taek
• Adrian “Trymbi” Trybus

SK Gaming

The legends at SK Gaming know that they’ve got what it takes to make it to finals, and it shows. Other than retaining their original 5-man, the German team knows how to answer any challenge. Whether it’s during an audacious Baron pit dive or a 3v5, they often have the upper hand mechanics-wise when they aren’t being hard countered by better champs. But despite the hard-earned experience these players have, some cracks are starting to show in their teamplay, as seen with lesser teams getting the upper hand when Irrelevant and co. were being too predictable. Thankfully, Markoon’s map control on Nautilus and Lee Sin have always been enough to keep the team from falling into too bad of a deficit during their laning phases.

SK Gaming Roster

• Joel “Irrelevant” Scharoll
• Mark “Markoon” van Woensel
• Daniel “Sertuss” Gamani
• Thomas “Exakick” Foucou
• Mads “Doss” Schwartz

SK Gaming vs Fnatic Predictions

Their last bout was a total coinflip, but signs point to a remastered Fnatic taking the bo3 after learning from their previous loss.

How to watch Fnatic vs SK Gaming

Keep an eye on the LEC’s Twitch or YouTube channels. The next phase of the Summer Split is set to begin on July 15 – 16:00 PT // 19:00 ET // 18:00 CEST

For more previews on all the major LEC matchups, follow ESTNN.