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VCT 2022 has commenced in EMEA, as various teams from all over Europe, the Middle East, and Africa compete in the Stage 1 Challengers tournament to earn a spot at the prestigious Masters event.
In Week 2 of the tournament's Group Stages, Esports giants Fnatic defeated Turkish powerhouse BBL Esports in consecutive rounds to edge closer to a playoffs qualification.
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Fnatic started the match on Icebox in great form, claiming a substantial early lead that was decisive in wrapping up the match on a 13-6 scoreline. The encounter on Ascent that followed witnessed BBL's efforts at a comeback, as the Turkish side eventually lost by a close margin of 10-13.
Fnatic currently stands second on the Group B leaderboard with two wins. After two losses, BBL Esports occupies sixth place.
Magnum talks about Fnatic's expectations for VCT EMEA Challengers and changes in team composition
In a conversation with Sportskeeda Esports' Adarsh J Kumar, Fnatic's Martin "Magnum" Peňkov discussed about changes in the team's structure and their expectations for the VCT 2022 Stage 1 EMEA Challengers.
Q: In your words, how did Fnatic perform in your Week 2 fixture against BBL Esports at VCT 2022 Stage 1 EMEA Challengers?
Magnum: Everything went as planned on Icebox, and we performed just as we expected. Despite the map-victory, we may have underperformed on Ascent. A few of our round wins were lucky. We messed up our defensive half (first half) on Ascent. Apart from that, we were decent.
Q: This was the first time Fnatic faced BBL Esports in an official VCT matchup. How do you think your opponents performed?
Magnum: I think BBL played really well. The only problem they had was in trusting their own teammates. This may have led to instances on Ascent where they didn't defuse the spike in time. They just need to work on their synergy.
Q: BBL acquired Turko after the start of VCT EMEA Challengers Group Stage. That, paired with seeing him pick up Sova for the first time, was a surprise for viewers and analysts alike. Do you think this roster change had any impact on your gameplans ahead of the match?
Magnum: No, it didn't. As part of our gameplan, we always watch their VODs and prepare accordingly. Since it wasn't a change of IGL or coach, we knew what they were going to do in the match. They ended up doing what we expected them to, and we countered them.
Q: This is only the second match we have seen braveaf play for Fnatic and he is already making his impact as one of the most influential players in-game. How effective has this transfer been, and how has he been fitting into the team?
Magnum: He is fitting in with the team really well and I'm proud that we got him. I was having a rough time with my performance. But he stepped up, and I'm glad that he is performing this well in his well.
This is his first official tournament for a repurted organization like Fnatic. I am happy to see him perform. He is a great player who I am delighted to be around.
Q: Boaster picked up KAY/O for the first time last week. We saw him on the Agent yet again this week against BBL. How well is he adapting to the new role?
Magnum: We knew how to play around KAY/O since Doma used to play the Agent before. Boaster made most of the plays for Doma himself, so he was fluent with KAY/O's playstye.
Boaster has been great in the IGL role and in his performances so far in the tournament. He created this fun rule where we had to be positioned around him all the time. He said that at times we can win the round easily by just staying alive and sticking together. We won 4 rounds like that.
Q: In Week 3 of VCT Stage 1 EMEA Challengers, Fnatic will face Acend. What are your thoughts on the matchup, and how prepared is Fnatic to play against the reigning Valorant Champions?
Magnum: Acend's playstyle directly counters ours. We don't enjoy playing against such an aim-reliant team. We prefer playing against more strategy-oriented teams like Vision Strikers and several others. Acend has strong individual players as well, but I think they are beatable.
In that sense, any team is defeatable. If we do our homework and fix today's mistakes, the Acend matchup would be a 50-50 for me. I believe we can win, but we will have to do a lot of work.
Q: Over the next couple of weeks in the VCT 2022 Stage 1 EMEA Challengers, Fnatic will meet the likes of SuperMassive Blaze and Guild Esports in the tournament's Group Stages. What do you think about both of these teams?
Magnum: I wouldn't underestimate SuperMassive Blaze irrespective of their match results against Acend. But I do think we will end up winning that matchup.
I am confused about Guild. I doubted them when their roster was formed. However, they have been performing really well ever since. We cannot afford to underestimate them. Even though they managed to defeat Acend this week, I think we can win against them.
Guild's playstyle is more in line with ours than Acend's, so we are more worried about facing the latter. Having said that, Guild are an incredible team.
Q: Fnatic have a firm hold of the top 3 spots in Group B, after winning both of their matches so far. How confident is the team in finishing the VCT EMEA Challengers Group Stages in first place?
Magnum: We want to win every match, so I'm confident in our efforts to qualify. I cannot promise a first-place finish in the Group Stage. Matches like the one against Acend will be a tough fight.
We will try our best to reach the playoffs with the goal of making it to the VCT Stage 1 Masters.
