FNATIC vs Giants Gaming Preview and Predictions- 2023 VCT EMEA League

The 2023 VCT EMEA League is all set to kick off with LOCK//IN champions FNATIC facing Giants Gaming in the opening match of the event

EMEA is the second region to start the regular season out of the three franchise leagues in the VCT 2023 season. The start could not be any better as we have FNATIC vs Giants Gaming on the very first day. Although Giants Gaming lead the head-to-head 2-1 against FNATIC, that is large because of the fact that the two teams have not faced each since the 2021 VCT season. Considering FNATIC’s recent form, they are going into this matchup as the clear favorite.

Copyright: Riot Games

FNATIC

FNATIC are coming into the 2023 VCT EMEA League with sky-high confidence following their near-impeccable performance in the LOCK//IN tournament. Winning such a high-level event while dropping only 2 maps, that too in the grand finals, was something for the history books. From Derke’s entry fragging to Chronicles’ versatility, all the players from the team are in peak form right now. Barring any surprises, FNATIC should not struggle much in this matchup.

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Players

Timofey “Chronicle” Khromov

• Role: Flex
• The Spike Rating: 1.13
• Average Combat Score (ACS): 222.1
• Kill-Death Ratio: 1.22
• Headshot Percentage: 24.5
• Average Damage per Round: 143.8

Jake “Boaster” Howlett

• Role: IGL, Controller
• The Spike Rating: 0.97
• Average Combat Score (ACS): 191.6
• Kill-Death Ratio: 0.98
• Headshot Percentage: 20.8%
• Average Damage per Round: 123.4

Nikita “Derke” Sirmitev

• Role: Duelist
• The Spike Rating: 1.26
• Average Combat Score (ACS): 265.7
• Kill-Death Ratio: 1.3
• Headshot Percentage: 70%
• Average Damage per Round: 164.7

Leo “Leo” Jannesson

• Role: Initiator
• The Spike Rating: 1.27
• Average Combat Score (ACS): 239.8
• Kill-Death Ratio: 1.4
• Headshot Percentage: 22.2
• Average Damage per Round: 154.3

Emir “Alfajer” Beder

• Role: Sentinel
• The Spike Rating: 1.2
• Average Combat Score (ACS): 248.8
• Kill-Death Ratio: 1.29
• Headshot Percentage: 30.1%
• Average Damage per Round: 163.2

Player to Watch

Leo is arguably the most impactful player on the current FNATIC roster and our player to watch for this matchup.

Giants Gaming

A solid team through and through, Giants Gaming are no pushover. Playing at the Alpha Bracket in the LOCK//IN event, they bowed out of the tournament losing to NRG Esports in a nail-biting series. Any team in the world would be an underdog going up against FNATIC right now; the Giants are no exception. But with proper gameplay and a little bit of luck, rhyme can certainly lead his team to victory.

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Players

Žygimantas ‘nukkye’ Chmieliauskas

• Role: Flex
• The Spike Rating: 1.2
• Average Combat Score (ACS): 250.9
• Kill-Death Ratio: 1.28
• Headshot Percentage: 20%
• Average Damage per Round: 163.4

Emir ‘rhyme’ Muminovic

• Role: Controller, IGL
• The Spike Rating: 1.1
• Average Combat Score (ACS): 224.2
• Kill-Death Ratio: 1.13
• Headshot Percentage: 30%
• Average Damage per Round: 145.5

Adolfo ‘Fit1nho’ Gallego

• Role: Duelist
• The Spike Rating: 1.18
• Average Combat Score (ACS): 241.1
• Kill-Death Ratio: 1.3
• Headshot Percentage: 21.2
• Average Damage per Round: 147.8

Aaro ‘hoody’ Peltokangas

• Role: Sentinel
• The Spike Rating: 1.17
• Average Combat Score (ACS): 234.1
• Kill-Death Ratio: 1.24
• Headshot Percentage: 24.1
• Average Damage per Round: 148.6

Kirill ‘Cloud’ Nehozhin

• Role: Initiator
• The Spike Rating: 1.23
• Average Combat Score (ACS): 244.8
• Kill-Death Ratio: 1.24
• Headshot Percentage: 29.7
• Average Damage per Round: 159.8

Player to Watch

You can take the duelist out of the player, but you cannot take the player out of the duelist. nukkye can frag on any agent you slap on him. Keep a close eye on him, as he might be the one to change the course of the match in the Giants’ favor.

2023 VCT EMEA League- FNATIC vs Giants Gaming Predictions

With his big-brain in-game calling, Boaster should lead his team to a comfortable victory. We are predicting a 2-0 win for FNATIC.

Maps

Hard to predict maps for a FNATIC match, as they have a massive map pool. If we were to make an educated guess, the three maps would be Icebox, Haven and Fracture.

Score

Map 1: FNATIC to win with Giants Gaming > 10

Map 2: FNATIC to win with Giants Gaming < 8

Series MVP

Derke was tearing through every opponent FNATIC faced in the LOCK//IN event. We see no reason why it would be any different in the first match of the 2023 VCT EMEA League. 

2023 VCT EMEA League- FNATIC vs Giants Gaming Match Link

Day 1 of the 2023 VCT EMEA league will commence at 18:00 CEST/ 12:00 ET. Following the switch of the match order, FNATIC vs Giants Gaming will be the second match of the day, starting at 21:00 CEST/ 15:00 ET.

Keep an eye on the live broadcast of the FNATIC vs Giants Gaming on the official YouTube and Twitch channels of Valorant Champions Tour EMEA. 

ℹ️ Update: The #VCTEMEA Day 1 match order has been switched! 👇

🕔 18:00 CEST ⏩@KOI 🆚 @NAVIValorant
🕔 21:00 CEST ⏩@FNATIC 🆚 @GiantsGaming

— VALORANT Champions Tour EMEA (@valesports_emea) March 23, 2023

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