So FNATIC has made a pretty sizable drop in the gaming industry. One of the most historic esports orgs of all time had officially announced the entry of a freshly minted roster into the competitive The Finals scene, and from what I have heard, the players’ reactions have been nothing short of wild.
Let’s break it down quickly. FNATIC stated that it has signed three players- @Raimk_exe, @NAGHOSTX6_TF, and @NigiriFPS-to don black and orange colors for The Finals. This was not just an average nature pickup. The three were competing under the BEAMERS tag earlier and are, in fact, studying to debut as FNATIC for the very first time at the Grand Major during Dreamhack Stockholm this November. So a nice little two months away. Would there have been a better time to do it?
The tweet announcement by FNATIC said only, “Let the games begin” with a classic excited emoji, but the reaction of the community was anything but straight forward. Players went just crazy in the replies; I mean all-caps yelling from here.
One player, @be4for, keyboard smashed: “WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH NOOOOOOOOO FUCKIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNGGGGG WAAAAAAAAYYYYYY LLLLLETTTTTT’SSSSSS GOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!” which honestly captures the feeling so well. Like when you see something so hype that your fingers are uncontrollable from typing. Been there.
Another player @LuiBoolin said it all: “HOLY SHIT FNATIC?????? YEAH THIS IS EPIC.” It’s a global feeling. When an organization as huge as FNATIC steps into a game, it’s just a massive occasion. They’re really not joking; they are bringing serious talent to the table.
The new FNATIC players seem pretty happy about it. @NigiriFPS went off in the replies, asking another user if they wanted to kiss? I guess if you get signed to FNATIC, you can afford to shoot your shot whenever.
That explains the vibe of the other orgs in retaliation. Spacestation Gaming snarked, “so we meet again?” Bastard rival energy for sure. Like, they’re already prepping for those tournament face-offs, man. And then, a “Heads-up, noobs incoming” came through from BattleRise Game, which could either be shady or playful. Sometimes hard to gauge via text.
The support from the community, however, has been immense. A bundle of welcome messages towards the black and orange family gave hope to the team to watch for sure, courtesy of @RioShouts. Just this whole feeling is sufficient to make one believe that entry of FNATIC into The Final competitive scene will uplift the whole ecosystem.
And with the timing, The Finals have been really growing in stature, and with a big org like FNATIC investing in it just cements that credibility. It’s like your favorite indie band getting signed to a major label; you’re happy about it, but nervous about what changes are coming next. Except, in this case, the changes are good.
@be4for was already wondering about an FNC bundle ingame, which honestly would be spectacular. Imagining just running around The Finals with FNATIC skins and cosmetics; the merch potential alone is insane.
It’s great to see support pouring in from all around. There are comments like “Bien joué fier de votre nouvelle maison les bgs” (Well played proud of your new home the boys) in French, showing that it is no longer just an English-speaking phenomenon. Both Finals and FNATIC appeal internationally.
The energy in those replies is just… contagious. People use all caps, multiple exclamation points, and fire emojis- excitement almost leaps off the screen. Moments like these make you reminisce why esports are special in the first place. A big move is felt throughout the community.
FNATIC knows what eye-selling is. They’ve been dominating the scene for years in both Valorant and League, so when they say entering a new title, they’re not playing games. They have brought in a roster that’s presently BEAMERS and going into a massive major tournament as their very first showing.
This move is going to seriously change the competing dynamics for The Finals. Other orgs will be closely monitoring this. Maybe more sponsors will be drawn in, and bigger prize pools… Kind of like when a celebrity investor joins in a startup and suddenly gives everyone serious attention.
The players must be living the dream themselves. From independent competition to representing one of the most recognizable brands in the world of esports is the stuff that will make a person’s gaming career. On top of that, they get to do so at DreamHack Stockholm, which, in many places, is spoken of as a Super Bowl for gaming events.
The competitive scene for The Finals is seriously going to get interesting, between this announcement and the forthcoming major. With FNATIC, their infrastructure, their coaching, their resources… it’s going to lift the bar for everyone else. Other teams have got to keep up.
November DreamHack Stockholm. Mark your calendars. That’s when we’re going to see the new FNATIC squad put on their first performance. Trust me; with all the buzz around this, it’s going to be 100% electric. Black and orange has arrived, and The Finals will never be the same again.
