Fnatic vs Origen

The world is still reeling from last night's historic upset. The sights of G2 Esports losing a Best of 5 against MAD Lions simply boggles the mind. It is an unexpected outcome, to say the least, and it is a result that deserves quite a lot of discussion and analysis. That, however, should be reserved for another time, as we already have yet another spectacular clash that's bound to entertain us beyond belief: Fnatic vs. Origen.

Needless to say, we have quite a premier match-up on our hands. Both Fnatic and Origen are two names that echo and reverberate throughout the competitive League realm. They're synonymous with competitive League, and yet only one of them has actually managed to become an unavoidable part of esports history.

Fnatic is as big of a titan as they come, and this 2020 incarnation of their roster deserves both praise *and* analysis. Many fans thought the loss of Mads "Broxah" Brock-Pedersen would usher in a different kind of era, one that would see this perennial European giant weaker and less capable. Such a thing was only natural, after all, seeing just how integral the towering Dane truly was to their success. His flexibility, in-game impact, and clutch factor often pushed Fnatic over the finish line. Obviously, he didn't do it alone, but his ability to dominate on both tanks and bruisers alike made him a standout performer regardless of the meta. Without such a rock to guide them, many thought Fnatic would lose their edge.

In actuality, however, the exact opposite happened. Fnatic blossomed in new and exciting ways. Some are even arguing that we're seeing the best iteration of the roster in history -- and that's really saying something given the many spectacular FNC line-ups that graced the stage over the years. Still, this theatrical hyperbole is rooted in reality, rather than narrative.

Ever since they brought over Tim "**Nemesis**" Lipovšek's old jungler Oskar "**Selfmade**" Boderek, Fnatic seemed to have prospered beyond everyone's expectations. We all knew Selfmade was a high-tempo, mechanically gifted carnivorous kind of jungler, but that isn't necessarily what Fnatic needed -- or so we thought.

What happened was fairly surprising: we saw a brand-new shade of Fnatic, one that is obscenely aggressive and unrelenting in playstyle. This five-man line-up will either overwhelm you with its strength and flexibility or they'll implode trying. Watching them in action has been an absolute pleasure, and even when they fail to do what is right, when they go for the wrong play or execute badly, they're still endlessly fascinating. There's so much that can be learned just from observing them in action, and that goes for both the good and the bad.

They're supremely confident in their strength and ability and there's a good reason for it. Their breadth of experience allows them to utilize what almost feels like the entire champion pool in the game. They're not the kind of team that'll shy away from an off-meta pick or strategy, and they'll actually make it work more often than not. Sometimes that's through incredible macro and team play. Other times, that's through sheer brutality and force. Either way, they get the job done, regardless of the method used.

In many ways, this Fnatic roster plays like the G2 Esports of 2019. They're insane, more of than not, and you're not quite sure how they're getting away with it. They have many tools to work with and, by proxy, many different avenues for success. They're much more in sync than even before, and even though they're not always on the same page, the trust is always present.

What is even more interesting is the fact that they have Bwipo, Selfmade, and Hylissang on the frontlines wreaking havoc and Nemesis and Rekkles in the back, always teetering on the edge of danger, treading the razor's edge. Sometimes they don't engage or follow-up as a five-man unit, but that's becoming more and more rare as time goes on.

They've even faced Origen mere weeks ago and were able to outclass them without much effort. That's perhaps the most important thing coming into this highly anticipated Best of 5. Fnatic have all the right tools to get the job done in fairly one-sided fashion, and it all boils down to whether or not they'll tryhard and go for the 3-0, or improvise a bit and see where it takes them.

The thing is, unlike MAD Lions, Origen aren't exactly flexible. They're insanely good at what they do, but they don't have much of a backup plan. If their one-dimensional nature isn't enough -- and it never is against the best teams around -- then they don't have anything to fall back on. Everyone knows how they want to win and which tools they have to use to get there. There's no mystery, no question mark regarding them as a five-man unit or as five individual players.

On the one hand, they're definitely stronger than the sum of their parts. On the other, that's still not enough to compete against the likes of G2, Fnatic, and perhaps even MAD Lions -- a team they also handily lost to in the last week of regular season play. They have much work to do and yet there's not enough time for them to grow and diversify their arsenal of weapons.

This doesn't mean they won't be able to get at least a game off of Fnatic today, but rather that they lack the strength and flexibility to do so multiple times in a row. Still, even at their lowest point, their clean macro and stellar team fighting should be enough to entertain everyone watching from home. They can definitely trade heavy blows with Fnatic and are surely looking to enter this Best of 5 with as much momentum as possible. They know that a strong, confident start is incredibly important and, thanks to their fantastic coaching staff, they're probably prepared to go the distance strategy-wise.

In the end, however, that simply shouldn't be enough against a team of Fnatic's caliber. They're too good at the moment to drop the ball against a fairly one-dimensional challenger like Origen.