Fnatic vs FURIA VCT LOCK//IN: Fnatic come out on top of a tense contest with FURIA

It's time for Fnatic vs FURIA in a much anticipated Omega Bracket matchup at VCT LOCK//IN.

FURIA were lights out in their 2 - 0 win against T1 in their opening match. With everybody on their roster seemingly firing on all cylinders. They face EMEA powerhouse Fnatic who were as equally dominant in their 2 - 0 win against Sentinels.

The pair last met at Champions 2022, where fans were treated to one of the best matches of the season. Since then however, Fnatic's roster have increased their firepower in the form of Leo and Chronicle. The latter of which was particular effective against Sentinels in their opening fixture. This will be a different sort of challenge for Fnatic who will be facing off against FURIA in their backyard. Meaning they will have to deal with the rowdy home crowd.

We head to Haven for the first map of this series. FURIA surprises everyone as they opt to use a combination of Viper and Harbor as part of their team composition.

The Brazilians establish pressure early on in the map as they take three of the first four rounds with relative ease. Fnatic manage to tie the map, after an early timeout, with an insane 2 v 5 clutch from Chronicle and Derke, as well as a solid push on round 6. And continue to chain this newfound momentum to take six rounds in a row. FURIA do their best to stabilize at the end but Fnatic still hold an 8 - 4 lead at halftime.

FURIA take the second pistol round to begin their fightback on Haven. They secure round 13 as well, only to be met with the full force of Fnatic once more. With Alfajer and Boaster pulling off two separate 3ks to help Fnatic reach the double digit mark at 10 - 7. Fnatic manages get to 11 round wins, but a series of blunders enable Furia to push the map into Overtime.

Fnatic look as though they could take an early advantage in OT, but a huge play out of mwzera is enough to snatch the lead away from the EMEA side. Leo clutches up on defence to tie the map again at 13 - 13. FURIA take the lead again, but a big play from Derke ties things up again. The teams are locked in a never ending stalemate as they remain tied at 16 - 16. It was a true clash of titans from start to finish, but Fnatic come up with one last big play to take Haven 18 - 16.

After an action-packed game on Haven the teams head to Ascent for Map 2. Furia take the first two rounds, but a huge play from Leo swings the bonus in Fnatic's favor. An Ace out of qck extends Furia's led to 3 - 1. Fnatic manage to tie things up at 4 - 4 after a series of very close rounds. Fnatic begins to up the aggression on their defensive side with Derke and Leo given license to hunt, and Furia looking lost for words. Giving Fnatic a comfortable 8 - 4 lead at halftime.

FURIA takes the second pistol round of the map and barely survive an anti-eco round as they claw their way back into the map. A no-scope kill from dgzin and another solid defensive hold enables Furia to tie the map at 8 - 8. But a late mid-map push from Boaster allows Fnatic to regain the lead. A 4k from Boaster gets Fnatic to double digits following a lengthy tech pause. And the EMEA side hit match point shortly after, despite a brief interruption as a result of qck's lockdown. FURIA gave it all that they had, but it felt as though they didn't have energy to carry them through Ascent after a grueling battle on Haven. And thus Fnatic secured the map win 13 - 9 and a 2 - 0 victory in the series.

All of the matches at the VCT LOCK//IN tournament will be livestreamed from the Ginásio do Ibirapuera venue in Sao Paulo. This single-elimination, bracket-style tournament features all 30 of the Franchise Teams competing in the VCT this season, alongside two Chinese teams who were invited to participate. Fans who wish to watch this Fnatic vs FURIA Omega Bracket matchup may do so by heading to the VALORANT Twitch channel.

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