The last matchday in the winter split in Europe’s top League of Legends division is upon us. But some teams are already feeling a sense of doom and gloom. FNATIC, in particular, is clearly falling short of expectations. Is the pressure too great?
This evening, the last regular round of the new Winter Split introduced in 2023 will take place in Berlin. But even before kick-off, alarm bells are likely to be ringing in some of the organisations. In particular, FNATIC, who always claim to want to be at the top of the table, are currently second to last in the table, undercut only by an even worse performance from EXCEL’s players.
Although the team has both strong and experienced players on paper, and the return of the “prodigal son” Martin “Rekkles” Larsson has also given them a media push, the multiple league champions seem to have run out of steam, at least for the time being. We can only speculate about the reasons, but voices are already being raised that the switch of Elias “Upset” Lipp back to Rekkles is one, if not THE reason for FNATIC’s continuing low.
FNC vs SK 20:00 🖤🧡 pic.twitter.com/8sRLSRypEi
– Martin Larsson (@RekklesLoL) February 6, 2023
Play-Offs (almost) missed – Eyes on the Spring Split
With two wins from eight games, the former super team is stuck at the bottom of the table. Even if FNATIC manage to pull off a win against SK Gaming tonight, the Winter Split play-offs are very likely to remain out of reach. In order to drag themselves over the finish line with their last ounce of strength, not only SK Gaming but also the loser of the game between KOI and Astralis would have to be beaten. Both teams are currently joint seventh in the table with a score of three wins and five losses.
However, that aside, FNATIC’s eyes should already be on the upcoming Spring Split, where the only thing that matters most is a possible MSI participation.
Six of eight teams have already qualified for the Winter Split play-offs: G2 Esports, MAD Lions, SK Gaming Prime, Team BDS, Team Heretics as well as Team Vitality. The last two participants will be decided tonight.
