Feature of Dota 2: TI10 Fnatic: damage control exercise

Mendi Kasım 21, 2021

Fnatic have sailed through a sea of problems to make it this year at The International 10, and while they present themselves as a reformed team in many ways, the hard work is just beginning for them.

Southeast Asia hasn’t had a good run at TI for five consecutive years, or four editions. It was 2016 when Fnatic finished in the top 4 and TNC Predator finished in the top 8 at TI6 and since then neither of these two has managed to replicate the success. Neither other teams have been able to rise over the years, Mineski was the only other organization able to secure a TI ticket in both 2018 and 2019, but both years they came home with just a 9- 12th final result.

A heart felt goodbye

Unfortunately, the COVID-19 situation has hampered the SEA region even more. More organizations have been forced to close their Dota 2 divisions due to financial uncertainty and even more have undergone multiple roster changes through 2020. This has led to increased instability in the region and has had a direct impact on performance of each team.

For Fnatic, 2020 meant several roster changes that triggered the search for a new identity. The first to let go was Nuengnara “23savage” Teeramahanon, who although he took the team to five league titles during his time in the late summer, saw a brighter prospect in joining Vici Gaming.

His place was taken by Marc “Raven” Fausto, who returned to Fnatic after GeekFam left their Dota 2 squad. Roster changes continued with Anucha “Jabz” Jirawong going forward, back and again. , but the biggest blow came in mid-September when Daryl Koh “iceiceice” Pei Xiang decided not to renew his contract with the organization. It was already after a period of inactivity when he felt the need for a big change, and as he moved to Evil Geniuses to play for the first time in his long career in a different region, Fnatic were left to struggle to find a solution.

Dealing with a rather small group of high profile players in SEA made the effort to find someone to fill some big shoes left behind by iceiceice a rather daunting task.

A new era

The departure of iceiceice ushered in a new era for Fnatic in all aspects. One in which the first search for a replacement brought Natthaphon “Masaros” Ouanphakdee to the team. He was recruited by Motivate.Trust Gaming, a team that took two big series from Fnatic in 2020, BTS Pro Series Season 3 and ESL One Thailand 2020. With him in the offlane, Jabbz moved up to position 4 and Raven in the carry position, Fnatic were able to develop a strong team-based fighting style of play and when the DPC arrived, they annihilated the opposition in the first season of the SEA league with hero combo I carry, Tidehunter, Enigma (played by Jabz), Elder Titan, Puck or Invoker. They went 6-1 in the league and secured a playoff seed at the first major of 2021.

However, despite being held in their region, so they didn’t need time zone adjustments for the Singapore Major, Fnatic had a terrible run at the tournament. They have been unfortunate to have Evil Geniuses as their first opponents, now fighting with icex3 on their side, thus gaining a completely better idea of the draft models and the overall game idea of Fnatic. On top of that, Raven’s 5-0 record with I carry in the league match of the season made such an impression that EG felt compelled to ban him first in both games. Despite Fnatic’s open-mindedness and a desire to deliver fun games at the highest level, EG was prepared for a technician’s choice and didn’t even lean when RTZ fell victim to the bombs on a six-slot Naga siren.

Down to the low end, Fnatic clashed with OB.Neon, the other SEA representative in the Major, and were eliminated in 9-12th place by a team forced into a last-minute stunt double and some role adjustments for pander to Yang ”Deth” Wu Heng in their training.

After the disappointing performance in Singapore, Masaros was transferred to his former team as Fnatic worked on more fixes. They welcomed Ng “ChYuan” Kee Chyuan to the offlane, but as their second league of the season was pretty tough and they couldn’t secure a spot at the AniMajor, more roster changes came into play. Kam “Moon” Boon Seng was let go, while ChYuan was moved to the middle lane position and Deth, the one who took the limelight in Singapore with OB.Neon, joined the offlane.

Fnatic

list

Marc Polo Luis “Raven” Fausto

Kee Chyuan “ChYuan” Ng

Wu Heng “Deth” Yang

Anucha “Jabz” Jirawong

Djardel “DJ” Mampusti

trainer:

Jeong Jae “SunBhie” Lee

Despite both being over 25 and previously playing with top-tier teams, ChYuan and Deth have yet to prove themselves on the TI stage. They took the first step towards that goal by claiming the SEA qualifying spot this year with Fnatic.

The qualifying campaign for the TI10 SEA was the first big test for the reinvented Fnatic and, until the finals, they passed it with flying colors. They scared their fans into their final series against TNC Predator starting with a 0-2, only to complete a full reverse sweep with Raven plowing through the last three games with 35/0/35 K / D / A total. It was his Terrorblade that equalized the series in game three and four and a somewhat surprising Ax pickaxe in the final match in which he went on 18/0/12.

The affirmation of Fnatic at the Aegis

Fnatic didn’t have much of a chance to show what they are capable of with the new roster, which was only completed about three weeks before the TI10 qualifiers, but the games in the aforementioned event and the two online runs made at the BTS Pro Series Season 7 and OGA Dota PIT Invitational, which is their only official competition on patch 7.30, have shown that they are working to find hero synergies that best suit individual abilities.

Building team chemistry usually takes time, and the few official matches they’ve had since Deth’s arrival may not be a true indicator of where they stand in this regard. They have no LAN behind them with the new formula, but they have passed a real stress test in the regional qualifiers. They were one of the few teams to arrive in Bucharest, Romania for the pre TI10 bootcamp about a month before the event, which indicates that they are committed to building something relatively stable and, if they succeed, they could offer one. of the biggest surprises at the TI10.

Taken individually, each of the Fnatic members is a rather exceptional player. DJ is their mainstay and one of the greatest support players in the entire scene, regardless of where he holds. Jabz has the ability to play four or five, or be the captain and draftsman and sacrificial teammate. Raven has proven her worth not only with Fnatic now, but also in the past and also with TNC, Mineski and Geek Fam. This strong trio should elevate both Deth and ChYuan, who both have incredible potential and have proven they can deliver games of clutch under pressure.

International 10 will be a whole new experience for Fnatic, who may find a blessing in dressing up playing with two newcomers on the TI stage, eager to prove themselves in Dota 2’s biggest tournament.