The long road to the Grand Finals has almost come to an end as FNATIC and DRX cross paths one last time to decide who will face NRG.
Both teams have had a long road in Paris, and DRX will look to avenge the loss they suffered against FNATIC earlier in the tournament.
Going into this match, it wouldn’t be a best-of-three series, but it would be a best-of-five series, and the last time they faced each other, it went all the way to map three.
Both teams wanted to win as fast as possible and wanted to avoid a map five, so going into map one, FNATIC would take the map pick and choose sunset.
Sunset isn’t FNATIC’s best map; in fact, it’s their worst map, with a 2-5 record and a 29 per cent win rate.
Which makes you wonder, in an elimination match, why FNATIC would risk choosing a map they historically aren’t good at, and that choice would soon bite them in the back.
DRX would take an early lead in the first half on the defence, FNATIC would attempt to grab a few rounds, but failed to turn any of them into runs.
DRX would win the first half with a score of 8-4, with free1ng leading at the half with 10 kills, 4 deaths and 2 assists.
In the second half, FNATIC would wake up from whatever slumber they were in and would take the first few rounds of the second half, but it wouldn’t be enough, as DRX had the momentum to win map one.
HYUNMIN would win the map MVP with 22 kills, 15 deaths and 4 assists.
FNATIC’s performance in map one wasn’t what they wanted, but they wouldn’t have to hang their heads low for long, as they would go into map two, Corrode, DRX’s pick.
Corrode isn’t DRX’s strongest map, but not their worst; they would have a 2-3 record on the map with a 40 per cent win rate.
DRX came into the match with some confidence, but that confidence would soon be snuffed out by FNATIC, who, on the attacking side, demolished them in the first half with an 11-1 score.
In this blowout, EMEA’s favourite NA player Crashies would be leading FNATIC in the half with 16 kills, 4 deaths and a single assist.
The second half wouldn’t last long, DRX would take the first two rounds after switching from the defensive side to attacking, but FNATIC would win two rounds after that to secure a 13-3, map two victory.
Crashies would take the map MVP with 18 kills, 6 deaths and 2 assists.
Map three would be FNATIC’s pick in Haven, a map that most teams are familiar with.
FNATIC wouldn’t have a significant record on the map with a 7-6 record and a win rate of 54 per cent.
DRX would start on the attacking side, leaving FNATIC to take the defensive side, and the first half would be an even match-up, with it ending at 6-6.
Kaajak would perform well in the first half, leading FNATIC with 14 kills, 6 deaths and 2 assists.
Going into the second half, both teams would switch, but it would still be a close battle.
In the end, FNATIC would take the win in a close 13-11 map three with Crashies taking map MVP again with 20 kills, 11 deaths and 5 assists.
Now heading into map four, potentially winning this map, FNATIC would be forced to go into Bind, DRX’s pick.
Bind would be a strong map for DRX this season, with a record of 6-3 and a 67 per cent win rate.
To FNATIC, DRX’s stats on Bind didn’t matter, as it was a blowout win for the EMEA team, as they would take a 10-2 lead in the first half.
Kaajak would lead FNATIC in the first half with 14 kills, 5 deaths and 6 assists.
DRX would win the first two rounds in the second half, but FNATIC would take the next three rounds to ice out the map with a 13-4 victory and a 3-1 map series win.
This time Chronicle would take map MVP with 17 kills, 8 deaths, 3 assists, but match MVP would be given to Crashies who had a total of 65 kills, 39 deaths and 15 assists.
DRX would take third place in the tournament and end their VCT 2025 season at the edge of glory.
Now the stage is set, FNATIC will take on NRG in a rematch, this time for the VCT Championship.