VCT: LOCK//IN: Fnatic defeat NAVI to book final encounter with LOUD

Fnatic completely annihilated Natus Vincere in the VCT LOCK//IN semifinal, thrashing the team in three straight maps to book a matchup against LOUD for the championship.

Now that the semifinal matches of both groups have concluded, the VCT LOCK/IN has reached its final stage. Following their win against the Korean juggernauts DRX, LOUD secured their spot in the grand finals, while Fnatic and Natus Vincere battled it out yesterday for the second slot. The best-of-three series, which was anticipated to be a thriller by many fans, turned out to be rather lopsided. Here is a quick preview of the semifinal match:

Haven 

Fnatic entered the best-of-three series in fine form, cruising to a 5-2 lead after giving up the opening rounds. Fnatic held off Dmitry “SUYGETSU” Ilyushin and his team as they made an effort to catch up, ending the first half with a 7-5 lead. Fnatic extended their advantage to 11-8 as Leo “Leo” Jannesson, the Swedish rifler, fueled the team with tremendous firepower.

NAVI made one last attempt to rebound, winning three rounds in a row to bring the gap to 11–12, but they ultimately fell short as Leo and company were able to take that one round and win the map. Leo was Fnatic’s standout player at the end of the first map, scoring 23 important kills to give his team an advantage going into the second map.

Lotus

As the series entered the second map Lotus, Fnatic opted for an aggressive approach. NAVI’s own map pick turned into a nightmare for them as Fnatic’s ferocious attack shattered their defense to the very core. 

Nikita “Derke” Sirmitev’s outstanding play helped Fnatic win ten rounds in the first half, giving them a 10-2 advantage and a tremendous confidence boost. NAVI managed to secure three more rounds before Fnatic returned and closed the series with a convincing 13-5 victory, taking the lead to 2-0.

Fracture

Reaching extremely close to capturing the grand finals spot, Fnatic made a quick run to clinch it by posting a 5-1 lead in the third map of the series. NAVI, who was watching the series slip away, made one final desperate leap to change the course of events and tie the series 6-6.

Timofey “Chronicle” Khromov, Emir “Alfajer” Beder, and Leo worked together to help Fnatic steal the initiative from NAVI and take the lead at 12-8, overshadowing Andrey “Shao” Kiprsky’s outstanding 19-kill effort. Fnatic successfully clinched the map with a tight 13-11 victory thanks to their combined teams’ efforts, fragging prowess, and outstanding game sense.

The grand final will pit Fnatic against LOUD, with the winner taking home $100,000 in prize money and becoming the inaugural champion of the franchised Valorant League.

Header: Riot Games