VCT Masters Reykjavik – FNC vs NiP Preview

Fnatic vs. Ninjas in Pyjamas

Fnatic attended the 2021 VCT Masters 2 in Reykjavik, securing second place. However, the team fell short of being EMEA’s top team having lost to Kru Esports in the quarterfinals of Champions last year. Fortunately, with Acend’s win in Champions last year, Fnatic were narrowly able to secure the region’s last seed to Master with a 3rd place finish in the 2022 EMEA Stage 1 Challengers event. Ninjas in Pyjamas had formerly competed in EMEA, being one of Fnatic’s prime competitors as a fellow top team in the region. However, following a disastrous Stage 3 in 2021, they team opted to compete in VCT Brazil with a fresh start.

Armed with a new line up and backed by NIP’s large resources, the team quickly flourished in Brazil’s competitive Valorant scene. While they fell short from first place, only bested by LOUD who went undefeated in Challengers 1, NiP got a second chance in the LATAM vs Brazil playoffs. NIP then went on to completely roll over their LATAM challengers, Leviathan, with a clean 3-0.

While Fnatic do hold the slight advantage of being the more established team, a bet on Ninjas in Pyjamas would be recommended given their far superior betting odds. Specifically, waging on Ninjas in Pyjamas to win the first map is best. This is mainly due to the trend that the first match between two teams tends to be a coin flip if one is not heavily favored in the match up.

Fnatic has demonstrated to be a very consistent team in VCT Challengers 1, with clear wins against weaker teams and losses against only the top teams. If Fnatic struggles early on, it is highly likely that Ninjas in Pyjamas will continue to take the series.

Prediction: Fnatic 56% l Ninjas in Pyjamas 44%