Dignitas and Fnatic have been mortal enemies in Europe for quite some time now, and as Korea has been quite lackluster this season it’s only fitting that the two teams meet each other at the very end of the Mid-Season Brawl.
This European rivalry is actually tied 4-4 since the 2016 Fall Regional exactly one year ago, showing these two teams are both so strong at Heroes it’s difficult to actually decide and analyze who, in fact, is the better team.
Fnatic ended their group stage 8-2 right under MVP Black and 3-0'd eStar to advance to the winners finals. Likewise, Dignitas finished their group in second place 7-3 behind eStar by winning their tiebreaker game against L5. Going into the playoffs, Fnatic actually knocked Dignitas to the lower bracket in the winners bracket finals but Dignitas fought back taking out the other Korean rivals, L5, to earn a rematch in the grand finals.
While Fnatic entered the grand finals with a one game advantage, that matter for absolutely nothing. This series was so back and forth that in game five Fnatic had such a strong comeback to win the game, while Dignitas did the exact same in game six to force a seventh. This is exactly what you would expect for the international final, despite the lack of a Korean team.
JayPL proved why he’s one of the strongest tanks in the world with his amazing plays on Anub’Arak and Stitches, while Mene’s Li-Ming and Chromie were so precise. The target picks and bans were everywhere as these two teams are so familiar with each others hero pools and play style. The draft for the final game seven however was mildly questionable as Fnatic went global heavy on Sky Temple with Dehaka, Falstad, Brightwing, which Dignitas went with comfort and strong heroes with Stitches, Kaelthas, Malfurion. The global pick was the right choice, as they were definitely the more dominate team in the final game and after a huge fight at the boss up level 20 to 18, Fnatic wiped Team Dignitas completely and took the win.
Not only is this the first time a non-Korean has won an international tournament, but the first tournament win for Fnatic overall. Earning second place in both BlizzCon 2016 and the Western Clash, the time is finally theirs,
Don't come down from your Heroes esports high just yet. HGC Premier League teams get virtually no break as league play for Phase two begins this Friday, June 23.
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