Jul 4, 2022
Remaining undefeated coming into Masters: Copenhagen, the squad is fired up and ready to take on the world’s best VALORANT teams.
Ahead of the event, Riot spoke to star player Nikita ‘Derke’ Sirmitev and coach Jacob ‘mini’ Harris about all things VCT.
A bump in the road to victory
Masters Stage 1 truly seemed like anyone’s game. While there were high hopes for the boys in black and orange, extenuating circumstances meant Fnatic fielded a somewhat mismatched roster – specifically, one that didn’t include Derke.
“When I got told that I couldn’t play in Iceland [Masters Stage 1] I sort of stopped playing the game,” he recalls. “I used to play the game a lot, but when I got told I couldn’t play I almost stopped playing. I played a few times with some other pros from North America, but I just had no motivation to play. Even when they told me I could probably play in playoffs, I had no interest in playing the game because why would I play if I cannot play on stage?”
While roster shuffles and the addition of Emir Ali ‘Alfajer’ Beder to the squad lit a fire in his heart once more, his determination and grit slowly returned as the squad continued to win. “I realized the more I play the game, the more it helps the team. Now that we’ve qualified to Masters Stage 2 – which means a lot to me because I can play on the stage again, on LAN, with teammates around me – it’s an amazing feeling. I’m really excited to go to Copenhagen.”
Mini echoes Derke’s sentiment, noting that “things happen.” Given that their substitution issues lay beyond their control, he urged the team “to see through it and not be defeated” – and that’s exactly what they did.
A flawless run
Fnatic is no stranger to winning streaks, given that they entered Masters Stage 1 undefeated, and have had countless other flawless runs during their short history on Alpha Earth. As the squad continued to pick up victories, mini believes that their dominance gave the players an edge over the competition.
“I think it gave us confidence that we were doing things right,” he states. “It’s essentially a new roster and there’s been a significant meta shift, so it’s good to know that despite the limited time we had we were able to achieve good results.
“Obviously at the same time Boaster [Jake Howlett, Fnatic IGL] and I have identified that there’s a lot more to work on and things to improve, but it’s good to know you can still 5 - 0 your group despite there being areas to improve.”
Derke agrees, highlighting “we had more time to prepare for the upper semi-finals, and by winning them you’re then guaranteed to qualify for the LAN. [With the 5 - 0] we could prepare more, fix stuff more, and also we don’t have to show anything.”
“We knew that other teams would be scared to play against us because we’d already 5 - 0’d the group stage with a lot of flawless maps. There weren’t that many close games, except our matches against FPX and G2 Esports. I think that gave us the mental edge, as well as confidence – especially with Alfajer because he’s young, and it’s nice for him to get into a team and qualify, just like I did last year. It puts you in a good mood.”
As Boaster’s sneaky defuse came in and earned the squad the EMEA Champions Stage 2 title, Derke recalls “everyone was quiet, and then [when it was defused] we started screaming because we had made it.”
While he wasn’t twerking like Boaster (“I’ll never do that,” he claims), the squad’s elation is clear, and their sights are very clearly set on the Masters Copenhagen trophy.
Copenhagen and the battle for the Masters Copenhagen crown
As all eyes turn to Masters, the bustling streets of Denmark’s stunning capital, Copenhagen, are about to become the background for some of Alpha Earth’s fiercest fighting.
Following Fnatic (and the EMEA region as a whole) having a somewhat disappointing performance at Masters Stage 1 and North American squad, OpTic Gaming’s eventual victory, mini notes that “the narrative quickly became that NA is now the better region. I disagree.”
While obviously Fnatic has set their sights on the reigning champions because “they’ve got the experience, they’ve got the talent, and they’ve got the win” he believes “EMEA is one of the toughest regions in the world, if not the toughest region. We’re in a good spot to continue this winning streak.”
“I don’t like to think that one team is a big threat, or that any team is too strong,” Derke states. “The only time I had that in the past was against FPX, but I don’t feel threatened by any team right now – after all, we beat FPX.
“When I go into international competitions I don’t feel threatened by anyone; I’m going to play my own best game and I don’t care what people say.”
With Masters Copenhagen set to kick off on July 10, we can’t wait to see how Britain’s finest perform on the international stage. One thing’s for sure though, they won’t be going down without a fight.
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