After parting ways with longtime member Robin “flusha” Rönnquist, Fnatic is making another change to their Counter-Strike lineup. The Swedish team is bringing in 16-year-old Ludvig “Brollan” Brolin as their fifth member.
We today announce @Brollancs as our fifth member going into this new competitive season of Counter-Strike.@JW1 on the move: "The motivation within the team has never been higher. It’s time to get back to business."
READ MORE 📰 https://t.co/zLiH02pEQm pic.twitter.com/AcOtmGCdGi
— FNATIC (@FNATIC) October 17, 2018
Fnatic has been going through a roster shakeup ever since their lackluster performance at the London Major. As a team, they have not been performing well for the second half of 2018. They would have constant fifth-sixth place finishes, to their disappointing Legends stage exit at the Major. Losing their Legends status at the next Major was the last straw for the organization, as they’d end up saying goodbye to Flusha soon after.
Changes in Communication
It was a sign that rapid and drastic change was in store for the once-dominant Counter-Strike team. They would first trial with former Team Envy member Adil “ScreaM” Benrlitom. As a member of Fnatic, they would have another uninspiring performance at ESL One New York. The squad would finish last in their group, amongst Gambit Esports, Natus Vincere and Mousesports. Apparently, the move would force Fnatic to begin speaking English during matches, something they had never needed to do before. Jimmy “Jumpy” Berndtsson, the coach for Fnatic, would explain the problems they had with ScreaM:
[Playing with ScreaM] felt really good considering we went from Swedish to English, the communication actually felt quite good. But it’s the small things, like positions or something you want to explain in a Swedish way; you don’t have the same vocabulary in English that you have in Swedish. In a few situations, it’s always going to be harder [in international squads]. We need to sit down with the team, now, to refocus and adjust a few things as we move forward.
Finding a young player who speaks Swedish should help Fnatic with their communication issues moving forward. After ESL One New York, they would bench AWPer William “draken” Sundin, who had only joined the team in June 2018. Simon “twist” Eliasson would replace him on the starting lineup.
Brollan: The Future for Fnatic?
As one of the youngest players to play for a team at age fifteen, Brollan represents a bright future for Fnatic. Should he play well, he could be the face of the franchise for years to come. The now 16-year-old was last playing for Swedish organization Red Reserve. Veteran Fnatic member, Jesper “JW” Wecksell would express his excitement towards Brollan, saying:
I am very excited to welcome Brollan to Fnatic, not only because it means we finally have a full team again but also because I know that Ludvig is the final piece of the puzzle. He is extremely talented, he has a hunger that spreads within the team and he is an extremely hard worker. I see the 16-year old version of myself in him. The motivation within the team has never been higher, and now it’s time to get back to business and show people exactly what we are made of. A new era is coming – welcome, Ludvig!
Meanwhile, team manager Andreas Samuelsson would give praises to both ScreaM and Brollan, explaining:
I’m very happy that we can confirm Ludvig as our fifth and final player! Ludvig is one of the most promising young talents in the world and I’m sure we can achieve great things together with his contributions. We will now have a good mix of young and experienced players; we can’t wait to see him in action. At the same time, I want to thank Adil for his time with us. He has always been extremely professional, and he has performed more than expected in-game as well. I can heavily recommend Adil to any team with great ambitions.
As Fnatic’s confirmed fifth member, they will be testing out the new lineup over at the ESLCS Premier League! We wish Brollan, ScreaM, and Fnatic the best of luck in their future endeavors.
What are your thoughts on Brollan joining Fnatic’s lineup over ScreaM? Let us know what you think in the comments below! If you want more Counter-Strike content, check us out here!
Published: Oct 17, 2018 05:56 pm