After failing to qualify for the major at IEM Fall, Fnatic has decided to bench Jack “Jackinho” Ström Mattsson. Smooya will stand-in for Fnatic as the team prepares for the next round for RMR tournaments.
Jackinho was added to the Fnatic roster after Robin "flusha" Rönnquist was moved to the bench at the start of 2021. Initially, he was used as a rifler but with Jesper "JW" Wecksell's performances getting progressively worse, the primary AWP was finally moved over to Jackinho while the veteran Wonderchild found his form. Throughout 2021, Jackinho failed to perform in the biggest events as Fnatic went down the rankings.
With their international rebuild coming right before ESL Pro League, Fnatic expected to see an improvement in form and maybe have an outside chance at making the Major. But after going 0-5 in the group stage and having very few RMR points, they were unable to make the cut for the Major. The post-Major RMR cycle reset is the perfect time for them to make roster moves and test out any chemistry issues before committing to the full roster before the next RMR rolls around.
With the current state of the CS:GO market, there are quite a few talented AWPers you could try out. Kenny 'kennyS' Schrub has been sitting out on the G2 bench for many months but has lacked consistency, Young AWPers like Rafael 'saffee' Costa might have the raw skills but might not be able to step up when the big games require it. And with Fnatic playing in the IEM Winter Open Qualifier this weekend, they have to decide on a replacement quickly.
Smooya To Stand-In for Fnatic
In a move that many fans had wished for, Fnatic has decided to use Owen 'smooya' Butterfield as a stand-in for this qualifier. The British sniper will be stepping back into the server after spending two months on the bench when Movistar Riders went to a full Spanish Roster. With a past of being difficult to work with but undeniable talent, he is a pickup who could take this team to the top. And with IGL Alex speaking highly of him in multiple interviews, there's hope that he could balance Smooya out and maybe fit a system around him to resemble the success he once had with Zyw0o.
This trial event could also give Smooya the chance to flex his individual skills against lower-tiered opponents and help Fnatic qualify for a tier-1 event. This move will also mean that for the first time the UK-based organization will be waving the Union Jack in CSGO as 3 of their players are now British.
Stay tuned to esports.gg for our PGL Major Stockholm coverage and check out our recent interview with the Ninjas in Pyjamas at IEM Fall here.