Following the staggering news of Fnatic immediately benching Richard “Xizt” Landström and Simon “twist” Eliasson, the community has been left without a clue as to who may replace the vacant spots in the team. The statement released by Fnatic only hinted at a total makeover of the organization. However, Jesper “JW” Wecksell and Andreas “Samuelsson” Samuelsson, the Team Director, have been answering fan questions on the r/GlobalOffensive subreddit. Below are the most interesting answers to some of the fan questions thus far.
Search for new players
Samuelsson claims that no new players have been found at the moment. The team is going to take their time in selecting the right fit for the team:
No, we haven’t decided on any new players yet. We have a lot of time to do the right decision since we missed the major. We will take our time to take fnatic back to the very top where we belong. // Samuelsson
When asked what type of players the team is seeking, Samuelsson firmly responded:
We are looking for at least one young player. We won’t take in 2 old players since we want to be a stable top team long term. We need to have hungry young players to succeed in the long run. We are not sure about the roles right now, but we will aim for one IGL. // Samuelsson
When it came to the in-game leader (IGL), Samuelsson claims that it would be ideal to attain a new IGL. However, JW is willing to do what’s best for the team and is more than able to fulfill that role. Also, Ludvig “Brollan” Brolin’s spot is safe:
Brollan will 100% stay. He is the star of tomorrow. We are looking for an IGL but having JW/Krimz as an IGL is also in the discussion. We are trying to think outside the box to have the best possible team. JWs role depends on the last 2 players. JW said he will do what’s best for the team when I asked him. // Samuelsson
Additionally, when asked if a Finnish player that can speak Swedish would work, Samuelsson claims that would be a possibility:
That would absolutely be an option yes. We actually did that [recruit a Finnish player] when we kicked Jayzar in the academy team some years ago. // Samuelsson
When it comes to adding ex-Fnatic roster, the Team Director made an interesting comment. Specifically, he was asked if there’s any possibility of Olof “Olofmeister” Kajbjer returning to the roster:
Its always a possibility but we won’t add 2 old players // Samuelsson
The last comment gave hope for fans for a comeback of the so-called “Senor VAC”, Robin “flusha” Rönnquist, who is currently a free agent.
Reasons behind benching Xizt and twist and team spirit.
It seems like the decision behind benching Xizt and twist was solely based on in-game chemistry problems. Samuelsson claims that the team members got on well enough outside the game:
We had a great time outside the game. Both Simon and Richard are very professional guys but we didn’t have the right chemistry in-game and we could never find any consistency. This is a performance business and when we failed to qualify for the major for the first time in our history, it was a no brainer to make several changes // Samuelsson
When looking at the team on paper, it seemed like a promising lineup that would eventually become a threat on the CSGO scene. Unfortunately, according to the team director, it was an ups-and-downs situation:
We all believed 100% on this roster and we had very good chemistry outside the game. All are still friends but we could not find any consistency nor right chemistry in-game. We showed great potential with two second places in a row (China and Sydney), but it was always a rollercoaster in-game. // Samuelsson
A Reddit user asked whether Xizt and twist have received any offers before Fnatic’s decision to bench the two players:
Not yet, but the announcement went public less than 24h ago. I think a lot will happen after the major. Both Simon and Richard are very professional guys so I’m not worried about them finding new teams. // Samuelsson
In short
We just closed the AMA. Thank you for all the questions guys! I hope we made a lot of things clear 👏
We hope to see you in Malmö! #alwaysfnatic @JW1 @FNATIC— Andreas Samuelsson (@SamuelssonCSGO) August 22, 2019
Summing up, Fnatic is currently looking for two players, one of which must be a promising young rookie. The other would ideally be an experienced IGL – however, that is not a necessity, as JW would be able to fill that role. The players must speak Swedish, but a Finnish player that is able to communicate is more than welcome in the team.
The reasons behind benching Xizt and twist are purely for the betterment of the organization, as team chemistry in-game was the main issue. The team members got on well in general, and it was a very promising roster at the beginning and overall.
There’s a chance of ex-Fnatic players making a return. Olofmeister and flusha are likely to be the main candidates, and they are who fans are hoping for.
What do you think of Fnatic’s comments on their situation and search for new players? Let us know down in the comments below. And as always, follow us at Daily Esports for all your latest news in CSGO, as well as other major esports.
Trending
