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After seven weeks of engaging matchups, VCT 2022 Stage 2 EMEA Challengers is finally nearing its conclusion. European esports giants Fnatic will take on Stage 1 winners FunPlus Phoenix (FPX) in a best-of-five series in the fight for the title of EMEA's number 1 contender.
Upon reaching the top 3 of the Stage 2 Challengers, Fnatic and FPX, alongside Guild Esports, have qualified for the upcoming Masters: Copenhagen. The Grand Finals bout between Fnatic and FPX will ultimately decide the recipients of a favorable seeding in the Stage 2 Masters.
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Fnatic vs FunPlus Phoenix: Who will emerge as winners of VCT 2022 Stage 2 EMEA Challengers?
Having dominated European Valorant throughout VCT 2022, entry into one of Valorant's premier esports tournaments is not new for teams like Fnatic or FPX.
Earlier in Stage 1, FPX succeeded in winning the Stage 1 EMEA Challengers over G2 Esports, losing entry into the Masters: Reykjavik due to certain visa issues. Fnatic, on the other hand, have continued their form since VCT 2021 in the current season, bagging a third-place entry into the Stage 2 Masters earlier in April 2022.
Fans can expect the much-awaited matchup between Fnatic and FPX to be a breathtaking best-of-five series that Valorant enthusiasts from all over the world will be excited to witness.
Predictions
Fnatic and FunPlus Phoenix stand atop the EMEA region as their finest contenders for the upcoming Stage 2 Masters in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Fnatic will enter the series with an incredible streak of success to back up their confidence. After defeating teams like Acend, G2 Esports, FPX, and Guild Esports, Fnatic appears composed ahead of their Grand Finals matchup.
After their performance in Stage 1 of VCT 2022, Fnatic revamped their roster by bringing in two new members. Their latest addition, Alfajer, has been pivotal to the team's recent success. With Alfajer alongside Derke, Fnatic has amazing firepower up front, one that can lead the team all the way to the Stage 2 Masters.
FunPlus Phoenix, despite dominating Valorant in the EMEA region early on, were denied access to the Stage 1 Masters. However, with their performance so far in Stage 2, FPX aims to return to the forefront of competitive Valorant by aiming for the title of Masters: Copenhagen winners.
Having missed out on the Masters: Reykjavik, FPX are hungry for a title victory. They defeated several big names like G2 Esports, Acend, M3 Champions, and Guild Esports to reach the top two of the Stage 2 Challengers.
FPX will aim to avenge their previous two defeats to Fnatic in the tournament with their performance in the Grand Finals of VCT 2022 Stage 2 EMEA Challengers.
Head-to-head
Being two of the most revered organizations in European Valorant, Fnatic and FPX have encountered each other a total of seven times in official matchups. Fnatic leads on head-to-head encounters with four victories, leaving FPX with just three wins.
Both teams have played each other three times in VCT 2022. While FPX managed to win their Upper Bracket Final tie against Fnatic in the Stage 1 EMEA Challengers, Fnatic defeated FPX in both their matches in Stage 2.
In their opening match of the Stage 2 EMEA Challengers Group Stage, Fnatic managed to defeat FPX by a 2-1 scoreline. Their second meeting of the tournament was in the Upper Bracket Semi Finals, where Fnatic claimed a victory with a similar scoreline.
Recent results
In terms of recent results, both Fnatic and FPX appear to be in good shape. While preparing for the Grand Final stage of the tournament, Fnatic boasts a flawless Stage 2 Challengers campaign, having won all seven of their matches in the tournament.
FunPlus Phoenix won seven out of their 10 matches in the tournament, winning four out of their previous five encounters. Three of their losses came in the match against Acend in Group Stage Week 5 and the two matches they played against Fnatic.
Potential lineups
Fnatic
- Jake "Boaster" Howlett
- James "Mistic" Orfila
- Nikita "Derke" Sirmitev
- Enzo "Enzo" Mestari
- Emir Ali "Alfajer" Beder
FunPlus Phoenix
- Pontus "Zyppan" Eek
- Ardis "ardiis" Svarenieks
- Kyrylo "ANGE1" Karasov
- Andrey "Shao" Kiprsky
- Dmitry "SUYGETSU" Ilyushin
When and where to watch
Fans of Valorant esports can watch the VCT 2022 Stage 2 EMEA Challengers live on VCT's official handles across YouTube and Twitch. Official watch parties held by players and content creators worldwide will also livestream the match.
Fnatic will take on FunPlus Phoenix in the Grand Finals of the Stage 2 EMEA Challengers on June 26, 2022 at 7:30 pm IST/4:00 pm CEST/7:00 am PDT.
