League of Legends World Championship: Fnatic, spam this Static (14/20)

The League of Legends 2024 World Championship kicks off in Berlin on the 25th of September. A total of 20 teams will compete to succeed T1 at the top of the Riot Games MOBA world hierarchy. On this occasion, Sheep Esports brings you a daily feature on one of the teams taking part. This September 18th, the fourteenth episode of our series focuses on Fnatic, LEC's second seed.

The European dragon is back for another international ride. This 2024 Worlds edition marks the 12th participation of Fnatic, more than any other organization in the World - 2nd being Cloud9 with 10 participation. They only missed 2012 and 2016 editions.

Fnatic’s journey at Worlds is thus filled with historic moments and memorable runs. Their story at Worlds began in 2011, when they won the first-ever Worlds tournament at DreamHack in Sweden. At that time, the competition did not include any Korean nor Chinese teams, and Fnatic seized the opportunity to secure Europe's first and only title, cementing themselves as early pioneers in the international League of Legends scene.

As the competition evolved and Asia’s dominance grew, Fnatic continued to perform at a high level but faced increasingly difficult challenges. In 2013, they made it to the semifinals but were stopped by Jian "Uzi" Zihao's RNG, losing 3-1. In 2015, they once again reached the semifinals but were swept 3-0 by KOO Tigers, led by the formidable Song "Smeb" Kyung-ho. Although they consistently reached the quarterfinals or semifinals, it was clear there was a gap between them and the top Asian teams.

One of the most epic storyline was Fnatic's incredible comeback in 2017. After starting 0-4 in their group, Martin "Rekkles" Larsson and his teammates miraculously won their last two games against Gygabite Marines and Immortals, and then triumphed in a three-way tiebreaker again, securing a spot for the quarterfinals against all odds. This heroic run is still remembered as one of the greatest comebacks in Worlds history. However, their run was cut short in the quarterfinals when they once again faced Uzi's RNG and suffered a defeat, mirroring the outcome of their 2013 series.

Then, in 2018, the black and orange achieved a legendary run, marking their highest point in their modern history. For the first time since Season 1, a European team reached the grand final of Worlds. Fnatic’s incredible journey captivated the whole West, but they ultimately fell to Invictus Gaming in a 3-0 defeat in front of 50,000 spectators. Although they came up short, their run reinvigorated European hopes on the global stage.

Since that historic run, however, Fnatic has faced a decline. They have not won a regional title since 2018, and they have consistently been overshadowed by G2 Esports, who have claimed European dominance in recent years. The struggle also showed internationally: it has been three years since Fnatic managed to reach Worlds quarters. Not to mention the internal dramas the team has faced, specifically in 2021 while their ADC Elias "Upset" Lipp had to leave the competition a few days before it began, forcing management to summon Louis "BEAN" Schmitz at the very last minute. Despite playing the best they can, this will be the lowest performance of Fnatic at Worlds ever, ending in 1-5.

Last year, Fnatic failed to get past the Swiss stage at Worlds, suffering three consecutive losses to Chinese teams—LNG, TES, and WBG. The poor draw and tough competition reaffirmed the growing divide between Europe and Asia, with Fnatic unable to bridge that gap. Now, after three years without reaching the quarterfinals, the black and orange are determined to reclaim their former glory. With a strong performance at Worlds this year, they hope to not only redeem themselves but also signal that the old king of Europe is ready to rise again.

Fnatic's roadmap for 2024 was clear: build a healthy, well-functioning team. There was no way they wanted a repeat of the terrible start they experienced in 2023, which forced them to change their roster mid-year. So, they kept the core of the roster that finished last year, with one exception—the addition of their new Korean support, Yoon "Jun" Se-jun. He was brought in to synergize with ADC Oh "Noah" Hyeon-taek, who needed a more dominant laning partner and someone who could provide greater stability in the team’s dynamic outside of the game.

Even though Winter Split has been kind a tough at first, ending at the 4th position and receiving an early elimination in Playoffs by rookie roster from MAD Lions KOI, the 5-man roster stepped up throughout the rest of the year. They couldn't reach G2's level but played 3 finals this year against them. Europe indeed remains a one-team region so far and the samuraïs did only bleed once by the hand of Fnatic in their recent series in Summer (3-2), sending G2 to the looser bracket.

However, Fnatic enters the tournament highly motivated. They were thoroughly outclassed at MSI by Top Esports, Gen.G, and Team Liquid, and never managed to expose the level of play they displayed afterwards during the Summer Split. If Fnatic manages to stabilize a bit more their gameplay and not loose their early leads, they can become dangerous underdogs for some Asian teams like TES, DK or WBG which showed sometimes how fragile their map control can be.

The control that Fnatic critically needs this year is brought by their captain, Iván "Razork" Martín Díaz. He has been the most consistent player this season, serving as both the leader and the soul of the team and will likely be the player to watch closely in this tournament. As the most vocal player and primary shotcaller, he reassures his teammates and acts as the maestro, allowing Marek "Humanoid" Brázdato focus on his laning. Additionally, this 2024 Worlds marks the first time Óscar "Oscarinin" Muñoz Jiménez will compete without being hindered by injury, adding an extra layer of anticipation to their campaign.

You'll find below the 5-man roster of Fnatic: