Britain’s Valorant legend, Jake ‘Boaster’ Howlett had luck on his side in and outside of the server at EWC as Fnatic advanced 2-0 through the so-called Group of Death.
Fnatic defeated 100T in a tight BO1 13-11 victory on Icebox. The roster lost control of the series after a 9-3 first half, but got it over the line. Against Gen.G, it was the Koreans’ turn to lose a 9-3 lead, as Fnatic rallied to take the first map in overtime before going back to Icebox, where they looked comfortable in a 13-7 victory.
As if to top it off, Fnatic posted the Brit opening a rare Gardevoir ex Pokémon card to the envy of commenters below the post on X. British broadcast talent, and Boaster’s partner, Yinsu Collins, commented below the post, stating, “He’s taken my luck with him.”
Boaster’s card may be worth up to a whopping $50 if in premium condition, so let’s hope Boaster didn’t crease it celebrating his pull too much. The prize for winning EWC’s Valorant competition is $500,000 or approximately 10,000 Gardevoirs, so I’m sure he won’t get too carried away with his card-based profits.
Well, Yinsu’s loss was Boaster’s gain, and while she might not get many good cards while Boaster is gone, the British IGL might need a bit more luck as Fnatic advances through the tournament.
Valorant at the Esports World Cup is already taking shape with BBL, NRG, and Paper Rex already through alongside Fnatic. Fnatic will especially be looking for revenge against a Paper Rex who denied them their first tier one international trophy since VALORANT Masters Tokyo 2023.
What’s next for Valorant at EWC?
Wednesday’s action kicks off with the elimination games:
BBL vs G2 (10am)
Sentinels vs XLG (10am)
Heretics vs Titan (approx 1.15pm)
100T vs Edward Gaming (approx 1.15pm)
Sentinels facing China’s number 1 seed looks especially terrifying. Fnatic and Boaster will be glad they are clear of the groups, which will, from now on, be a bloodbath and a fight for survival.
Teams advancing from the Elimination matches will advance to the 1-1 Promotion/Elimination matches, which will begin at 10am on Thursday.
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Darragh Harbinson is an esports writer specialising in Counter-Strike. He has written for Esports News UK, Esports Insider, UKCSGO, Dexerto, and Rush B Media.
