The Grandest Rivalry Continues: FNC vs G2 Grand Finals Preview

The Grand Finals of the LEC 2023 Season Finals are finally upon us! The historic rivalry between Fnatic and G2 Esports will commence tomorrow (September 10th) at 9AM PST/12PM EST/4PM GMT. Here is what you need to know for the FNC vs G2 series.

The Stakes at Hand

As stated by Riot Games, the Grand Finals will determine the 1st and 2nd seed from the LEC teams heading to Worlds 2023. Technically, there may be a fourth, however, that remains determined by the Worlds Qualifying Series between Team BDS and Golden Guardians.

With MAD Lions securing themselves as the third seed, FNC and G2 will not only fight for 1st seed but for the LEC Summer Split trophy as well. This Grand Finals will serve as the largest LEC best of 5 series this year as it provides the highest stakes. Furthermore, the pride of these two historic organizations which have dominated the European landscape, will be settled here and now.

How the Titans Will Arm Themselves

The Grand Finals will not only be a Bo5 series between two long-time rivals, but an all out war to prove to EMEA who will be the #1 representative coming into Worlds 2023.

Credit: Riot Games

Across the summer split, G2 have an overall 83% win rate. They are known to play a heavily aggressive playstyle, especially in the bot lane. Steven "Hans Sama" Liv is known to have great snowball talent as his favorite and best champions to play are Kalista and Draven. Alongside this, Rasmus "Caps" Winther has a successful win rate with champions like Neeko, Tristana, and LeBlanc. If these champions are not banned by FNC, they need to respect their playmaking and early game kill pressure. Otherwise, they are in deep trouble.

Moreover, G2's members are confident and sometimes seemingly cocky which is important to note. They normally never throw a game as every time they are ahead at 15 minutes, they snowball hard and determinately win. However, in a high stakes game especially against FNC who have risen from the ashes, the pressure is on for them to perform in a do or die situation.

The Phoenix's Strategy

Credit: Riot Games
NOTE: Wunder is temporarily subbing for Oscarinin

On the other side of this matchup, FNC have an overall 62% win rate this season. As a team, their playstyle leans more towards a conservative and "let them come to us" type of playstyle. This is due to FNC preferring to have high pick priority with champions like Xayah, Taliyah, and Ivern. Obviously, they will not let G2 roll over them as FNC likes to play aggressively. However, they will try their best to press hard where it hurts if/when G2 makes a vital mistake.

Adrian "Trymbi" Trybus as a play maker will be in charge of creating these opportunities and punish where necessary if he plays his aggressive engage champions like Nautilus or Alistar. Martin "Wunder" Hansen has shown great performance even though he is acting as a sub for Óscar "Oscarinin" Muñoz Jiménez. In previous matches, Wunder has proved not only to his team but to everyone that his experience and talent remain intact. If G2 ignores this fact and underestimates his potential play making, they will have surprises heading for them.

Whoever Wins Bot side, Wins the Game

Bot side is a major meta standpoint with damage dealing carries in the mid and bot lane. It goes without saying that both G2's and FNC's carries are geared and ready to fight. However, one must fall in the end.

The prediction for the winner of this series will be FNC in a 3-2 situation. The advantage that FNC have will not be solely a skill gap but their draft flexibility. With Iván "Razork" Martín Díaz being the king of Jungle-Mid and Jungle-Support pick flexibility, they can create advantageous matchups or at least mitigate one-sided matchups. Other than this, G2 and FNC have strong and confident bot side players. The smallest mistakes in this series will matter the most so watch out for how each team will react to these. Setting up dives bot lane and maintaining Dragon control will be crucial if either team wants to lift the trophy.

Featured Image Source: Riot Games