Fnatic vs. Origen: Fire Battles Stone in the LEC Semifinals

This weekend in Rotterdam, Netherlands, the three best teams in League of Legends European Championship will play for the 2019 Spring throne. 

4th place Fnatic will play 2nd place Origen on Saturday to earn the right to play the Kings of the EU in G2 Esports on Sunday. 

The last time Fnatic played Origen in the playoffs was the 2015 Summer Grand Finals, which would go to Fnatic in Rekkles’ first split as the ADC for the team. 

#TBT to the last time @Origengg & @FNATIC met in Playoffs at the 2015 Summer Final in Stockholm! ?#LEC pic.twitter.com/sQxhKo2iri

— lolesports (@lolesports) April 11, 2019

Always Bet on Fnatic

After they steamrolled Team Vitality in round one, Fnatic looked strong in their dismantling of Splyce to earn their berth in the Semifinals. This is the same (almost in full) Fnatic team that qualified for League of Legends Worlds in 2018 and managed to make their way all the way to the Grand Finals. They would eventually lose that game, but the run was the best EU or NA have ever done on the biggest stage in competitive League. 

Heading into this weekend, Fnatic had a lot of momentum. If G2 Esports is a giant tank rumbling through the battlefield crushing everything, then Fnatic is a runaway train. Their track is the same as it has been for years, and the speed they gained in the final weeks of the season makes them an almost impossible thing to stop. 

“We’re committed to dragging people down into the dirt and making it a slaughter,” stated Fnatic top-laner Bwipo in his interview with Riot.

Sure, they lost Caps to G2 in the off-season, but their bot-lane and top-lane are still two of the most dependable members of any team in competitive League right now. They also come into this playoffs with tons of big-stage experience. It would be easy to mark Fnatic as the “team least likely to crumble” in the important games, purely based on their time spent playing in front of large crowds and in important games. Fnatic remains one of the most entertaining and fiery teams in competitive League of Legends. 

A Composed Origin Story

Across the rift, Origen earned their place in the Semis by losing. Odd, right? In the new-look LEC playoff structure - one in which LCS personalities have suggested the West adopt - Origen earned a bye of the first round in the 2019 Spring Playoffs. Instead, the 2nd place Origen would face 1st place G2 in the Quarterfinals. 

The winner of that match would head off to the Grand Finals, whereas the loser would have to earn their berth to the Grand Finals by beating the winner of the other Quarterfinals match. In this case, it’s a Fnatic and Origen Semifinals. 

LEC personality Deficio and company have done a wonderful job of selecting a number of overlooked but technically brilliant players that seem to work really well together. They were 2nd in the league after all. With Mithy and Nukeduck having less success elsewhere, their team now looks to be unshakable. They don’t look scary, per se, but they have this air about them that doesn’t seem able to break. They are calm and cool under pressure for the most part. 

In their Quarters match against G2 Esports, Origen got swept 3-0, but not because of gigantic mistakes. Watching that series for the third or fourth time and you can really see how close those games truly were. If they (Origen) stay their course, it may just be the mistake game that wins them their first ever European Championship. With their unwavering composure, Origen could pounce on any mistake made by their opponents. 

Don’t Call it a Comeback

Even though plenty of people are calling this a “comeback year” for both Origen and Fnatic, neither team would be happy with that storyline. Fnatic is coming off a year where they came 2nd in the entire world, while Origen are just starting to figure things out in their modern era. 

Fnatic will look to take another crown in Europe, as they sure look to be the team to beat in this postseason tournament. All the while their opponents are looking to cement themselves as a respected and often feared collective of sideline players. 

“Our goal is to kick-start the new legacy of Origen here, and surpass Fnatic and G2” said OG’s Nukeduck. 

Yes, these two franchises have been around for a while, but neither are attempting to come back from anything. Both of these squads are stomping in fresh snow and making their own tracks. One, as the surefire clutch killers, and the other as the steady hand of fate. 

G2 Looming

Regardless of what happens on Saturday evening (morning out time), whoever wins will still have one more match to play before they can call themselves the champions of the EU. Looking at this Fnatic and Origen match-up, you have to ask yourself whether either of these teams in their current state can beat G2 Esports and their high-profile five-man roster. Which includes the 2019 LEC Spring MVP in Caps. 

With or without Mikyx (who has been nursing a wrist injury) in at support, G2 doesn’t look like a team that will be easily beaten. Though, with such recent evidence as the Quarterfinals, it’s easy to suggest that Origen sure can’t do it. 

Which means it comes down to Fnatic. Should the Rekkles-led Fnatic make it to the finals, can they take the win in a best-of-five against the best team in the LEC? The easy answer is maybe. If Fnatic is the same version of themselves that have stomped their way to the Semis, then they sure could pull out a win against this G2 Esports. 

Until then, it’s still G2’s Championship to lose. 

You can catch all of the action live from Rotterdam this weekend online. We have a how to watch the LEC Finals guide if you need it. Be sure to tune in tomorrow morning (Pacific Time) for the Semifinals match-up. 

Who do you think will tomorrow between Fnatic and Origen? Will they go on to beat G2 Esports in the Grand Finals?