In a shocking turn of events, LOUD ended Fnatic’s impressive run of 11 straight wins in VCT international events during the Valorant Champions playoffs. The Brazilian team made a decisive move by beating the EMEA team 2-0 on both the Acsent and Lotus maps.
Given that Fnatic has done so well this year, this loss was even more of a shock. With two international trophies already in 2023, the team had seemed unbeatable, but against LOUD, they suddenly seemed out of sync.
After the match, Fnatic’s IGL Jake ‘Boaster’ Howlett talked about the team’s performance, especially their loss on Lotus. “We started off on the wrong foot because we lost the pistol round, but then we slipped into a bonus. When you start out like that, it gets harder and harder to get going again. “The game doesn’t let up,” he thought.
Revisiting Fnatic’s Surprising Setback in VCT International Events
Timofey “Chronicle” Khromov was quick to dismiss the idea that their loss was caused by being tired because of how hard the season was and how many games they had to play. He admitted that the team might be a little tired, but he said that wasn’t the main reason they lost to LOUD.
“We were not tired when we made mistakes in the game. It’s more about how much pressure we put on ourselves and how much we probably care too much about the results,” he said.
Boaster also talked about how people approach games and the paradox of ambition. “The more you want to win, the less you should be obsessed with it,” he thought. “If you care too much about winning, you might not play the way you usually do.”
There is some history that makes this situation even more dramatic. On the Valorant Champions stage, LOUD and Fnatic have played with each other before.
They played each other before in the Grand Final of VCT LOCK//IN. Fnatic was able to stop LOUD from getting a reverse sweep by being tough and making a great comeback on the last map of the series.
But there is always a chance to do better in a tournament. Fnatic hasn’t given up yet. As they move on in the Valorant World Championship‘s lower bracket, they’ll be getting ready for another shot at the title.
Their next game is on August 18, and fans can’t wait to see if they can get back to where they used to be.
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