EU Rift Rivals: The New Kings are Coming

It’s been three splits since G2 Esports have taken over Europe.  The newly promoted org has conquered the EU LCS and achieved unrivaled levels of dominance, to the point overcoming them seemed nothing short of a pipe dream. But if mid-season results are anything to base judgment on, G2 have long been dethroned in the EU LCS Summer Split.

Now, the new kings of Europe are coming for the Rift Rivals—and their name is Fnatic.

It’s all in the Cards

Fnatic’s rise didn’t come out of the blue. By the end of the 2017 Spring Split, you could already see this team coming together with the addition of Broxah and changes in the coaching staff. That said, few could anticipate the level of success Fnatic are currently having. After week 5 of the competition, the org is sitting at 7-1, and looking like the best team Europe has to offer.

Are they really that good? And if so, what makes them impressive?

To answer the first question, you know you’re doing something right when even your adversaries are praising you. 

Fnatic hold a unique advantage in that there’s no other team quite like them. A huge part of it is the team’s AD carry. Sporting an 18.7 KDA and 10.4 CS per minute, Rekkles blindsided the competition with his unorthodox builds, off-meta picks, and the focus on splitpushing and playmaking—something that few other AD carries could pull off. 

How effective is this playstyle? A single glimpse at the highlight below should answer that question:

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