G2 Esports vs Fnatic

This was destined to be. There’s just no other way to put it. The “script” has been written long ago, and the fact that these two teams, in particular, will now face off for the very last spot at Worlds should really come as no surprise. And, in all fairness, we wouldn’t have it any other way!

Who’ll win, though, is up for debate. It feels like there’s no sound, “safe” way of predicting the outcome. Both teams have a shot, and both are equally flawed and inconsistent. That’s sort of been their M.O. throughout the second half of 2021 — exceptional highs and wholly dreadful lows. And you never really know which shade of these two teams will step foot on stage to compete. Heck, they probably don’t know either.

So, to put it bluntly: this Best of 5 could really go either way. It’ll all boil down to preparation (as it always does), and execution in the heat of the moment. The ability to adapt mid-series is also incredibly important, but it is a strength and a virtue shared by both teams, so there’s no use in covering it at this point.

Fnatic have beaten G2 on both occasions throughout the second half of 2021, but that doesn’t have to mean all that much (if anything at all) — G2 had been slumping hard for what felt like an eternity, and the fact that they had lost was nothing but a by-product. It is, however, indicative of their problems, and the fact that they’ve yet to fix them. Then again, it’s not like Fnatic are much better in that regard. They nearly dropped to both Team Vitality and Misfits Gaming, and while their ability to clutch things out is enviable, it is still a worrying sign that they had to rely on it in both of their recent outings.

All in all, we’re talking about two wholly inconsistent “kings,” teams that had struggled mightily throughout the year to find an identity and call it their own. They’re exceptional in more ways than one, but they still struggled to deliver once it mattered most. The fact that MAD Lions and Rogue have overtaken them (seemingly with ease) signals one thing quite clearly: the status quo is changing, and G2 and Fnatic are no longer *the* teams to beat.

We’ll side with G2 on this one and hope for the best, as that’s the only thing we’re able to do. They have all the right tools to deliver and lock down a spot at Worlds, but they’ll need to be on their best behaviour — no funny business whatsoever. If they draft well and play their best League of Legends, they should, by all means, be able to emerge victorious.