VCT LOCK//IN 2023 is set to commence its 11th matchday in the coming hours, featuring two Omega bracket quarter-finals matchups. One of Europe's most reputed teams, Fnatic, will take on FURIA, one of Brazil's very own, in front of a home crowd at the Ginásio do Ibirapuera in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Day 11 of VCT LOCK//IN kicked off with an exciting matchup between FUT Esports facing 100 Thieves. The winners of that matchup will proceed to face the winners of Fnatic vs FURIA in the Omega semi-finals for a chance to advance to the playoffs. Meanwhile, tomorrow's NAVI vs Leviatan matchup will determine the final contender from the Omega bracket.
Fnatic vs FURIA: Who will win this quarter-finals matchup of VCT LOCK//IN 2023 Omega Stage?
Predictions
FURIA's Brazilian roster is set to take on Fnatic in a highly-anticipated best-of-three matchup in front of their home audience in Brazil. While Fnatic is currently favored to win, the enthusiastic support from the local crowd could potentially turn the tide in FURIA's favor. It will be an intense battle between two talented teams vying for victory in front of a passionate crowd.
Fnatic made significant additions to their roster ahead of the 2023 season, acquiring Chronicle from M3 Champions (formerly Gambit Esports) and Leo from Guild Esports. These players have certainly elevated Fnatic's firepower and are expected to help the team compete with other top competitors from Valorant's esports scene.
FURIA, on the other hand, have made minimal changes to their roster. They lost their former in-game leader, Nozwerr, to Leviatan, after which the organization acquired mwzera from Keyd Stars. Despite the setback of losing their IGL, FURIA still stands strong with a core of players who have been together for over a year.
Fnatic does have the upper hand over FURIA in this matchup, but as mentioned earlier, a passionate crowd can be an absolute game-changer for the latter and could potentially lead to a victory over one of EMEA's top teams.
Head-to-head
Fnatic and FURIA have played against each other only once before, in the Group Stage of Valorant Champions 2022, where Fnatic claimed a decisive 2-1 victory against the Brazilian squad.
Recent results
Fnatic kicked off their VCT LOCK//IN 2023 campaign with a remarkable 2-0 victory over Sentinels. Prior to the event, Fnatic competed in the ONE Pro Invitational, an off-season showmatch event in Japan, where they had the opportunity to showcase the strengths of their new roster in front of a LAN crowd.
FURIA's opening match of the VCT LOCK//IN was their first match of the 2023 season, where they managed to defeat the Korean giants, T1, with a 2-0 scoreline.
Potential lineups
Fnatic
- Jake "Boaster" Howlett (IGL)
- Nikita "Derke" Sirmitev
- Leo "Leo" Jannesson
- Timofey "Chronicle" Khromov
- Emir "Alfajer" Beder
- Maks "kamyk" Rychlewski
- Jacob "Mini" Harris (Coach)
Furia Esports
- Gabriel “qck” Lima
- Khalil “Khalil” Schmidt
- Matheus “mazin” Araújo (IGL)
- Douglas “dgzin” Silva
- Leonardo “mwzera” Serrati
- Vitor "kon4n" Hugo (Substitute)
- Carlos “Carlão” Mohn (Coach)
Where to watch
Valorant enthusiasts can check out the official Valorant Champions Tour accounts on YouTube and Twitch to watch all matches of the VCT LOCK//IN 2023 live. Fnatic will take on FURIA on February 26, 2023, at 12 pm PST/9 pm CET/1:30 am IST (next day).