Will a revamped Fnatic be enough for the team to succeed in the Spring Split?
Following their disappointing performance in the Winter split, Fnatic needed a huge overhaul.
Earlier this year they formed a roster that they thought could go the distance. But given the lack of overall cohesion in the group, adjustments had to be made. In their official announcement, Fnatic welcomed both Óscar Muñoz ‘Oscarinin’ Jiménez and Henk ‘Advienne’ Reijenga to their official League of Legends roster for Spring. And while both are fresh out of Fnatic TQ – the organization’s academy team – FNC expressed their confidence in the two new additions, stating that the native duo fits “the current teams’ chemistry and share the same mindset of the entire squad – an important factor we pursued in the offseason.” Will a new injection of fresh talent be enough for the once-legendary squad to claim their next major victory?
Fnatic’s Spring Split 2023 Roster:
- Top laner: Óscar “Oscarinin” Muñoz Jiménez
- Jungler: Iván “Razork” Martín Díaz
- Mid laner: Marek “Humanoid” Brázda
- Bot laner: Carl Martin Erik “Rekkles” Larsson
- Support: Henk “Advienne” Reijenga
Speaking of huge triumphs, Fnatic’s organization has found a lot of success in other pro-play games. Their Valorant roster recently got to lift their first-ever VCT LOCK//IN trophy following a near-impossible sweep that shook the entire Valorant community. Whether or not their experimental League of Legends team will soar to the same heights, we’ll have to wait and see.
Fnatic will also be entering Spring under a new head coach. Tomáš ‘Nightshare’ Kněžínek, a recognized name in the Czech LoL esports scene, has been though it all. As a player, assistant coach and finally head coach, Nightshare intends to bring a breadth of experience to the table. “An extremely emotionally intelligent individual,” the announcement remarked, “Nightshare has instantly connected with the group from the beginning and has been a decisive influence in bringing each player onto the same page, and defining the right goals for the squad going forward.”
With a week left before the LEC resumes, ;et’s take a look at the team’s recent achievements to try to predict how the black-and-orange powerhouse will fare in the next 2023 split.
Plenty to Prove
Less than stellar performance resulted in Fnatic not entering the LEC bracket stage for the first time in the organization’s history. Fnatic has admitted to various performance issue and have vowed to fix these and to foster a healthier environment for their players. And rightly so, given the rumors about toxic environments that allegedly plagued the roster during their scrims. But what’s done is done. So before we watch Fnatic’s quest for redemption, let’s take a look back at the things the players can take with them to the Spring split.
The previous line-up didn’t fare well in the last split. But that doesn’t mean they didn’t do anything correctly. While their defensive plays were lackluster, there were occasions when they eked out a win after withstanding the enemy’s assault. On the other hand, some games leaned heavily in Fnatic’s favor before they got completely turned around. What can the current roster focus on to secure their wins faster?
Let’s go back to Fnatic’s 2nd week match against EXCEL, where they secured a stylish teamfight quadrakill. Wunder, Humanoid and Razork all took turns tanking in the frontlines as they chased XL down midlane before ending the game. This level of team coordination is exactly what the team needs to develop to have a better chance at Worlds. If they further refine their teamplay, they’ll be able to synergize their huge mechanical outplay potential. The talent is already there, all they need to do it cultivate it.
But what was arguably the team’s greatest win in Winter still showed a few recurring flaws in its macroplay. Namely, a complete lack of formation after losing a skirmish. That said, Uma Noid’s solo carry numbers are nothing to scoff at, and can be fully weaponized once FNC learns how to peel more efficiently.
And while they’ve had plenty of time to iron things out in the off-season, there’s also a lot to be said about the new additions.
Oscarinin’s absolute tenacity can be seen in his current statistics. Playing for TQ in the 2022 SuperLiga, he’s able to sustain 1466 DPM (damage per minute) on Jayce, easily defeating G2’s own academy team, G2 Arctic. From the looks of it, the newly promoted top-laner knows how to get results out of a risky engage. To improve their aggressive tactics, they’ll need someone who calculates risks well.
The potential is there for Advienne to take Fnatic where it wants to go. Earning his best stats on Thresh, his vision score rivals the even the LCK’s best. His arrival adds unpredictability to the new lineup, something that FNC should take advantage of. The newcomer likely possesses the confidence and the vision handling to boost Fnatic’s chances of winning on the Rift, so we’ll be keeping an eye on him.
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