Once the most dominant team in CSGO, the present Fnatic has fallen a long way since their prime. The core group of Olofmeister, flusha, pronax and now JW have long left or been benched. Krimzz now remains as the last of the golden five.
With multiple resurgences throughout the last few years, Fnatic has always been a part of top tier Counter Strike. However, the online era has seen a massive drop off for Fnatic, who has fallen all the way to 47th in the world, their current rank. Having seemingly hit rock bottom, they announced they would be going international with their lineup after the benching of JW and Golden.
Glory Days now a distant memory for Fnatic
Swedish CS takes it on the chin
Fnatic announcing they will be going with an international lineup is a monumental hit to the Swedish Counter Strike scene. For years Sweden was an undisputed top region when it came to producing talent. Throughout the entire history of CSGO up until the online era, Sweden has been host to two top tier lineups in NIP and Fnatic. The lack of talent fostering has now forced the legendary team organization to look elsewhere to continue their legacy.
In fact, Fnatic has held a Swedish roster since 2005, with the only exception being the 2012-2013 season and a Danish roster led by karrigan. It seems for the first time in well over a decade Fnatic will seek to get more then one international players on the roster.
What does it mean for Fnatic?
The implications for the team could vary depending on community reaction. If the team maintains their relationship with the thriving Krimzz, the young and limping Brollan and Jackinho they could maintain their Swedish fans, clout and sponsors. However, if they move away from the country entirely it could mean a complete rebranding.
Together with NiP, fnatic have maintained their local fandom over the years and it has paid dividends. Moving away towards a diverse roster may bring player related fandom from any star they sign, but may cost them their local following which pledges to fnatic largely due to them being a “Swedish” representative.
What will the new team look like?
Krimzz and Brollan will surely keep their spots on the team during the first stage of the rebuild. This begs the question, who else do they bring in? Assuming they will not buyout any players with teams, perhaps bringing in the danish IGL MSL would be a good move. It is certainly one of the best options available at the moment.
Does cajunb slide into the lineup after his recent retirement? A surprisingly still young player with undeniable talent, cajunb could definitely play a role in this team. With LAN returning, perhaps it would be a good time to bring Woxic back into the fold. A player who had his best performances on LAN would certainly benefit from MSL’s leadership and guidance.
Fnatic have one last chance to maintain their fan base and their respect. They will have to secure a roster that can perform in tier 1 Counter Strike if they wish to take back their status as legends in the scene.
