Fnatic Clinches Victory in ESL ESEA Pro League
Fnatic, the most successful team of the year, has once again emerged victorious in the ESL ESEA Pro League Finals. This win solidifies their position at the top.
With this recent triumph, Fnatic has now won both iterations of the Pro League, defeating Cloud9 in Cologne and Na’Vi in Burbank. They have earned a total of $200,000 in prize money and continue to enjoy offline success.
The Road to Victory
During the online portion of the league, Fnatic finished with a 17-5 record, securing their spot in the offline final. They faced tough competition in the group stage, including French powerhouse EnvyUs, Team Liquid, and Conquest. Despite losing to EnvyUs in the group stage, Fnatic’s victories over Team Liquid and Conquest led them to a semifinal matchup against long-time rivals ex-TSM.
In a thrilling contest, Fnatic triumphed over ex-TSM, earning a place in the finals. They displayed exceptional teamwork to counter a remarkable performance by ex-TSM’s Nicolai “Device” Reedtz.
A Showdown in the Grand Finals
Na’Vi, Fnatic’s opponents in the grand finals, had been performing exceptionally well throughout the tournament. Players like Egor “Flamie” Vasilyev and Ladislav “Guardian” Kovács fueled Na’Vi’s success.
The best-of-five series between Fnatic and Na’Vi was incredibly intense. Three out of five maps were decided in the final round, with Fnatic securing two 16-14 victories. Despite Na’Vi’s impressive comeback from being 2-0 down in the series, Fnatic’s Olof “Olofmeister” kajbjer and newcomer Dennis “Dennis” Edman delivered standout performances, ultimately leading Fnatic to victory in the fifth map.
A Year of Triumph for Fnatic
This victory marks the end of an exceptional year for Fnatic. With no more competitions left this year, the players will now enjoy some well-deserved time off before what could potentially be an unforgettable year in Counter-Strike history.
Photo by Sebastien Ekman via DreamHack/Flickr