Weibo Gaming has triumphed over Fnatic at the League of Legends World Championship 2023, earning their spot in the quarterfinals. With a 2-1 score, the LPL fourth seed eliminated Fnatic from the competition—leaving only G2 Esports as EMEA’s last hope at Worlds.
The first game showcased all of Fnatic’s prowess as they rolled through their opponents and secured an early lead in the match. However, Weibo held their nerve and demonstrated their mental resilience in the following game by focusing on objectives and making a decisive move around Baron that shifted the momentum in their favor, leveling the series at 1-1.
From that point on, Weibo Gaming was in the driver’s seat, and they never looked back as they sent their EMEA opposition straight to the airport.
In the decisive third match, Weibo smoothly countered Fnatic’s comfort picks with a targeted draft that saw Xiaohu’s Azir and Light’s Caitlyn pressing their lane counterparts. Particularly during team fights, the LPL representatives skillfully countered Fnatic’s assaults with precision, executing their strategy flawlessly. Ultimately it was Weibo’s superior control of the game that was the decisive factor in the elimination match.
Fnatic’s defeat and subsequent exit sees the legendary org miss the top eight at League Worlds for the third straight year after four straight quarterfinal appearances from 2017 to 2020.
This year Fnatic had a challenging season yet this roster secured a spot in the World Championship through consistent and solid performances in the LEC Summer and Season Finals, and despite not being enough, today’s performance was also convincing.
But with Fnatic leaving the competition the LEC’s last hope stands in the hands of G2 Esports, who is live against Bilibili Gaming in the last game of the Swiss Stage at the 2023 World Championship.
