For many years, Fnatic’s Dota 2 team have looked to claim the title of World Champions. Despite all their efforts though, they have never reached that coveted goal. However, they have been slowly climbing up the rankings over time. With a new lineup of skilled and battle-hardened players, the stage is set for Fnatic to triumph. There are many competitors standing in their way, but the greatest among them is Team Spirit.
[Related: What’s Wrong With Fnatic Dota 2?]
New Kids on the Block
Coming out of nowhere in late 2015, Team Spirit entered the Dota 2 pro scene not with a splash but with a ripple. They weren’t originally a major contender, having relatively humble showings early into their run. But by 2017 they had risen to be a notable force, taking numerous second and third placings and several firsts. They didn’t stop there though, continuing their rise to becoming the monster team fans know today. However, this isn’t to say that they’re unstoppable. They may have had one good year, but time will tell if they can hold their own with the greats.
Clash of the Titans
This year’s Spring Major pitted Fnatic against Team Spirit in what was the first match for both. The result was worrying for Fnatic and promising for Team Spirit. The latter team won 2-0 against Fnatic, who put up a good fight but couldn’t quite make it.
In game one, Illya “Yatoro” Mulyarchuk of Team Spirit played a strong Anti-Mage, taking an early lead and repeatedly ganking members of Fnatic to keep up the pressure. His teammate Miroslaw “Mira” Kolpakov played Io, and stuck close by him for most of the game. Together, they created a durable and deadly duo that quickly took over and forced Fnatic to scramble for a response. Their answer was Armel “Armel” Paul Tabios, who played Keeper of the Light and built up a significant net worth early on. Rather than taking Yatoro head-on, he focused on roaming, supporting his teammates and constantly poking Team Spirit with his Illuminate. Unfortunately, Team Spirit secured their advantage as they went into the midgame, using their resources to great effect to win several key teamfights. Pushing in, they were able to avoid being pinned down by Fnatic and finally push into their base.
Run it Back
Game two was less of a one-sided match. Fnatic’s Anucha “Jabz” Jirawong and Djardel “DJ” Mampusti gained an early lead in the top lane as Dragon Knight and Hoodwink respectively. However, the team’s power wasn’t quite as focused as it was in game one, with Fnatic’s bottom and middle similarly holding their own. Armel’s Storm Spirit in particular was able to secure several close kills in the early game.
Later in the game, Fnatic’s Marco Polo “Raven” Luis Fausto took his Wraith King to the top lane, and began pushing hard. He made it all the way to Team Spirit’s Tier three tower, forcing them to respond or risk losing their Ancient. Team Spirit’s Magomed “Collapse” Khalilov, on Mars, intercepted him with his ultimate. The resulting teamfight, unfortunately, pushed Fnatic out of Team Spirit’s base. With Fnatic being down two players from the fight, Team Spirit were able to take Roshan with little fear of interception, though they struggled to capitalize on it and lost the Aegis soon after. At this point, the two most impactful players were Raven, whose Wraith King had become extremely durable, and Yatoro, whose Troll Warlord was the main source of damage for Team Spirit.
The Final Showdown
The two teams battled it out for a while. No team was gaining any more ground until Team Spirit managed to sneak in a second Roshan kill while Fnatic were elsewhere. Team Spirit then advanced on Fnatic’s base, intending to end the match then and there. For their part, Fnatic held them off for a good while. They managed to pull off a favorable teamfight that cut down Team Spirit’s lead significantly. Unfortunately, their lead was simply too great. At a crucial moment, they lost both Armel and Jabz, allowing Team Spirit to push into their base. Thus, game two went to Team Spirit as well.
While Fnatic may be down, they are certainly not out. The season has just begun, and they can come back.
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