In a tense EMEA Valorant showdown, Team Heretics Esports World Cup victory came to fruition following a hard-fought five-game series.
British player Benjamin David ‘benjyfishy’ Fish and his teammates, Ričardas ‘Boo’ Lukaševičius, Dominykas ‘MiniBoo’ Lukaševičius, Enes ‘RieNs’ Ecirli, and Mert ‘Woo’ Alkan become the first Esports World Cup Valorant title holders.
FNATIC’s downfall in the EWC finals
The Esports World Cup VALORANT finals followed a very different trend than the EMEA Stage 1 Regional Final, where FNATIC stupefied Team Heretics in three games to snatch the title.
Despite a dominant early performance from FNATIC, Team Heretics clawed back maps to push the Esports World Cup Valorant Finals to force a complete five-game series across Lotus, Sunset, Icebox, Haven, and Ascent.
Map 1: Lotus
Map One, Lotus, set the pace for FNATIC’s momentum. Despite Team Heretics picking up four wins in the first seven rounds, FNATIC brutally shut down any further progress.
The map ended on a 13-4 score in favour of FNATIC, with Heretics unable to pick up a single win on the defender side.
Map 2: Sunset
Team Heretics’ luck appeared to worsen on Map Two.
In a devastatingly strong performance, FNATIC dominated Sunset. Team Heretics were only able to secure a solitary round win on the attacking side. Meanwhile, by the time FNATIC switched to the attacking side, they had already won 11 rounds.
Sunset also set the stage for Kajetan ‘Kaajak’ Haremski to flaunt his fragging skills. The player picked up a masterful ace on the fourth Sunset round.
Map 3: Icebox
Icebox staged Team Heretics’ comeback, a desperate push to halt FNATIC’s stampede to victory. Unwilling to give up the fight, they pushed the game into overtime and ultimately secured a map win when it mattered most.
FNATIC remained close on Heretics’ tail for the entire map, maintaining a threatening presence despite Heretics’ increase in momentum and last-minute determination. Their fairy-like movements in clutch plays made the tournament look like a showreel at times, rather than active competition.
Nevertheless, Team Heretics were finally able to wake from their slumber. They closed out Icebox on a 13-11 score, inching ahead of FNATIC to gain a much-needed confidence boost.
They were finally able to create the clutch moments FNATIC had enjoyed so consistently thus far, overcoming outnumbered scenarios and outplaying Valorant’s favourite IGL, British player Jake ‘Boaster’ Howlett.
Map 4: Haven
Team Heretics gained significant traction after their Icebox victory. Boosted by a fresh wave of confidence, they returned from a FNATIC-dominated first half to take the map.
Boaster defined the first half of Map 4 with his incredible clutch in Round 8. As king of the Valorant IGLs, fragging is known to be Boaster’s Achilles heel. Nevertheless, he was able to snatch the kills in a 1v3 when it mattered the most.
However, it was Team Heretics that dominated the late game. FNATIC were only able to pick up one round win as defenders, with the game ending at 13-10 to Heretics.
Mert ‘Woot’ Alkan took the helm as the strongest Heretics player in the game. Despite heretics looking dominant throughout, he was the only player on their team to achieve a positive kill-death differential on Haven.
Map 5: Ascent
Team Heretics completely demolished FNATIC’s apparent early grip on the competition by the time they reached Ascent. Every FNATIC win appeared laboursome, while Heretics looked effortless.
Ending Ascent on a 13-10 score to defeat FNATIC, Team Heretics took the Esports World Cup title.
Miniboo and RieNs put on powerful performances, helping Heretics maintain consistency across both attacking and defending sides.
The FNATIC and Team Heretics Esports World Cup journey
Despite starting the tournament in the so-called “Group of Death,” FNATIC enjoyed a strong performance throughout the entire Esports World Cup tournament.
Their journey included a 2-1 win over VCT Masters Toronto winners, Paper Rex, in the Semifinals. FNATIC lost against the team in the Grand Final, but were able to gain revenge in their Esports World Cup rematch.
Consistency and Boaster’s famed in-game leadership skills quickly placed FNATIC as a favourite to win on Valorant betting sites.
Team Heretics were considered less likely to win thanks to their loss to FNATIC in the most recent Regional Finals. However, they did manage to fend off BBL Esports and Gen.G Esports in the Playoffs after finishing second in their group.
Their unexpectedly strong performance in the Esports World Cup Valorant Final will place them in the spotlight for EMEA Stage 2, which now lies ahead.
Looking ahead – EMEA Stage 2 and the road to Paris.
Hopefully, for their fans, the FNATIC/Team Heretics Esports World Cup dominance will continue into VCT’s regional EMEA Stage 2, beginning on July 16th.
FNATIC will hope to repeat their Stage 1 victory and secure their seats at the VCT Champions tournament in Paris.
On the other hand, Team Heretics will look to replicate their stronger Esports World Cup performance when they return to the EMEA region.
Hannah is a writer specialising in the esports, gaming, and technology sectors. Working for outlets such as Dot Esports, Esports Insider, and of course ENUK, she has developed a love for wider esports and Apex Legends, although it may never surpass her drive to passionately beat her friends in every game of Mariokart. You may have seen her at various esports and gaming events, including ESI London, EGX, Discover: Esports and many League of Legends watch parties.
