Fnatic walks away victorious after a flawless Stage 2 run

Jun 28, 2022

Taking down fellow Masters qualifiers GUILD and FPX to claim the crown, the boys in black and orange have proven once again that they’re the best squad EMEA has to offer. 

GUILD and FPX didn’t make it easy, though, fighting tooth and nail to claw themselves into pole position. While neither succeeded, they have etched themselves into VALORANT history and will be looking to snatch the trophy at Stage 2 Masters.

Miss the final week of Challengers Stage 2? We hope not! Either way, here’s our recap of VCT Stage 2 Challengers EMEA’s final playoffs week.

VCT Stage 2 - Challengers EMEA: Final placements

These are the final standings for VCT Stage 2 Challengers EMEA, with Fnatic taking the top spot followed by FPX and GUILD. 

These three teams will make their return at Masters Copenhagen, where they’ll face off against the best teams from every corner of the globe.

Fnatic progress to finals after sweeping aside GUILD

Given that Fnatic and GUILD were the top squads in their respective groups, we knew that their inaugural playoffs game would be one for the ages. While on paper it was a straight 2 - 0, GUILD made Fnatic work for it, determined to knock them off of their pedestal and upset their flawless run. 

What they didn’t expect, however, was Emir Ali ‘Alfajer’ Beder, whose performance throughout the week has marked him as one of VALORANT’s best young talents. Showing off his skills on his signature Raze and toxic Controller Viper, the Turkish star led Fnatic to a well-earned victory and, in turn, to the finals.

GUILD stumble against FPX

Beaten but not broken, GUILD met FPX in the lower bracket final. The series, however, didn’t go the way they likely thought it would, with FPX looking incredibly dominant while GUILD struggled to combat them. 

The battle began on Fracture, where FPX easily swept Britain’s finest aside 13 - 4. While they bounced back on Haven, taking 11 rounds instead of 4, history was quick to repeat itself on Split, where again they suffered yet another devastating 13 - 4 defeat. 

While they limp away from playoffs this time around, Stage 2 Masters will be their first-ever international tournament, and we know we’ll see them fired up and ready for action coming into the next (and arguably most important) leg of the competition. 

Fnatic vs FPX: A rivalry for the ages

As the dust settled on the upper and lower bracket finals, all eyes were on the grand finale. As expected, it was a back and forth affair, with two maps going into overtime. While at a glance it looks like Fnatic had an easy victory run, in reality, FPX challenged them on Split and Haven, with a fourth map very much looking like an option as things intensified. 

FPX kept toe to toe with Fnatic on the final map, Haven, sending the score counter back and forth as one team won a round, then the other. As Alfajer continued to show off on the Raze, Jake ‘Boaster’ Howlett’s Omen darted around the battlefield, lurking in the shadows waiting for the kill.

As we dived deeper into overtime, the final round saw FPX attempt to plant on B site. Chaos ensued and all eyes were on the action, allowing Boaster to sneak in and start defusing the spike under a veil of smoke. As Lauren ‘Pansy’ Scott and Mike ‘Hypoc’ Robins screamed at FPX to do something about Boaster defusing, the spike was rendered inactive, handing Fnatic the victory (accompanied by some twerking from their IGL on the player cam).

While Stage 1 Masters wasn’t exactly a shining moment for the squad, we know that they’ll be coming into Stage 2 Masters with fire in their hearts and the trophy in their sights. Will they remain undefeated? We’ll have to wait and see, but we know for sure that Copenhagen will be the site of some of the best VALORANT we’ve ever seen.

Challengers EMEA Stage 2: Vods

If you missed out on any of the action you can check out vods of the event on https://valorantesports.com/vods!