Foo Zen-Wen

The conclusion to the much-anticipated Lower Finals between Fnatic and Team Liquid ended with a resolution few expected and yet bears similar beats to the previous years. Coming off the back of the previous day’s performance against Gentle Mates, a timeline where Fnatic fails to qualify for Masters Santiago appeared so improbable, and yet we find ourselves here. Liquid’s showing in yesterday’s series was nothing short of masterful, dominating the series from start to finish to snap the final spot to Santiago.  Following the conclusion of their series, Strafe Esports sat down with Fnatic Head Coach Milan “Milan” de Meij to speak on the series, Fnatic’s preparation coming into the rematch, and so much more in this exclusive interview.

BBL find victory over Gentle Mates at the eleventh hour after a length Bo5 series in the VCT EMEA Kickoff Upper Finals. The Turkish roster is now set to attend Masters Santiago later this month.

For the first time in VCT EMEA history, the production is taking off from the Berlin studio. The Stage 2 finals are set to be hosted in Barcelona, from August 28th to the 30th at the Olímpic Arena in Badalona.

Fnatic found themselves in a repeated matchup against another Turkish roster following their loss in Week 1 to BBL. Faced against FUT, it was imperative for Fnatic to begin winning if they wished to keep their dreams of Santiago qualification alive – and win they did. What began as a one-sided affair for Fnatic quickly shifted as FUT rallied back to force the series to go the full distance. While Fnatic eventually emerged as the victor, it was far from a clean win. Following the conclusion of their series, Strafe Esports sat down with Fnatic IGL and captain Jake “Boaster” Howlett to reflect on the close nature of the series, Fnatic’s run at Kickoff thus far, the challenges of the off-season, expectations carried by the roster, and so much more in this exclusive interview.

Hanwha Life Esports (HLE) have been eliminated from the LCK Cup 2026 following their loss to Gen.G this morning. This elimination also means that the reigning champions from last year’s First Stand will not be in attendance this year to defend their title. 

Team Liquid’s battle against Karmine Corp was a show of determination and grit. After a close series loss the previous week to Team Vitality, Liquid found themselves now in the Middle Bracket of VCT EMEA Kickoff with two lives left to battle to Santiago. Backs against the wall after a dismal Map 1 performance, Liquid turned their fortunes around to complete the reverse sweep, propelling themselves with their first official win of the season. Following the conclusion of their series, Strafe Esports sat down with Team Liquid IGL and captain Ayaz “nAts” Akhmetshin to reflect on the series as a whole, the challenges of heading into a new season with a substitute for Week 1, his evolution as a leader for the team, and so much more in this exclusive interview.