Coming off of a strong season which saw Fnatic go undefeated in the Asia-Pacific region, Etienne “Magnet” Rousseau has a larger goal in mind. For years, APAC has been considered the weakest of the four regions, often ignored by NA, EU, and LATAM fans.
Despite the strong showing by NORA-Rengo at the Six Invitational earlier this year, which saw them bow out in the semi-finals to Team Empire, the APAC region is still largely underestimated by a large number of Pro League fans. For Magnet and Fnatic though, this is about more than showing what APAC can do. It is about showing what Fnatic can do.
Magnet’s journey began in Season 6 with Mindfreak in APAC, where the team placed second in the region. While their performance at the APAC LAN was mediocre at best, their sudden leap in skill after swapping out Nicholas "Punisher" Stefanou for Ethan "RizRaz" Wombwell saw them later qualify for the Six Invitational 2018 with ease. Coming from a region which was not expected to progress out of the group stages, this was a success. These were the humble beginnings of the team we know today.
Magnet with the Mindfreak roster before their signing by Fnatic
On April 12th, 2018, Fnatic took over the roster of Mindfreak after the Australians had stunned everybody by progressing to the main stage at the Invitational after beating Team Liquid and Room Factory (now Team Empire). With the backing of a larger organisation, the team was able to begin to truly hone their craft and progress on the world stage. The team has come as close as the semi-finals in an international LAN event, losing to eventual champions G2 Esports at the Season 8 Finals.
Some would say that the most recent event, the Six Invitational 2019, was somewhat of a disappointment for the Aussies, where Fnatic lost 0-2 to NORA-Rengo in the quarter-finals. While that tournament did much to show the progress APAC has made as a region, Fnatic themselves were simply unable to improve upon their semi-finals finish at the Season 8 Finals.
Now, the chance has arisen for Magnet and his teammates to once again prove themselves in front of a global audience. The competition has shown their vulnerabilities, and Fnatic have the chance to prove that they are a force to be reckoned with on the world stage by progressing to the Grand Final. Facing NORA-Rengo in the first round, there will only be one APAC team to make it to the semi-finals, and Fnatic will be looking to turn the tables at this event, with the loss against NR at the Six Invitational still in their minds.
Magnet at the Six Invitational 2019 Venue (via Bruno Alvares)
Before the two most dominant teams in APAC face off at the Season 9 Finals, SiegeGG had the opportunity to speak with Magnet about his thoughts on the upcoming event:
Fnatic vs NORA-Rengo yet again. How disappointed were you when the draw happened?
This is the seventh time you will be meeting each other, including the Invitational Quarter-Finals and the Season 9 APAC Finals. How much is the familiarity going to be a boon for you?
NORA-Rengo will be playing with YoshiNNGO at Milan. Does this affect your preparation for them with their anticipated new dynamic?
Fnatic at the Season 9 APAC Finals (via Ubisoft)
Aerowolf gave all of us a surprise pushing you as hard as they did after cleaning up Cloud9. Were you expecting that tough a challenge from them after their online season?
Is your team bootcamping in London in preparation for the event this time, or is it a return to Japan?
What is the one team you think is worth watching out for this event?
Team LeStream, Magnet's team to watch (via LeStream)
Team Empire weakened, DarkZero’s first Pro League Finals in two years, NORA-Rengo a familiar foe, G2 Esports not present. Could this be the season where your team gets to the grand final, or wins outright?
Who do you think is going to be winning the other three quarter-final games (and the upper half semi-final)?
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The Milan finals are taking place on the 18th and 19th of May, and Fnatic are itching to show that they have what it takes to be the pride of APAC. To keep up to date on Milan coverage before, during and after the event, be sure to check back here at SiegeGG.