Following a disappointing year after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Fnatic is making changes to its CS:GO roster with the addition of a young sixth man and a role swap for one of its legendary players.
Fnatic officially announced the acquisition of Peppe “Peppzor” Borak, an 18-year-old rifler with “huge raw potential,” today. Head coach Andreas Samuelsson called him one of the best young talents in the game. The team is hoping to see him grow and develop in the sixth-man role.
In addition, one of CS:GO’s most well-known talents, Fnatic’s Jesper “JW” Wecksell, is switching to a primary rifler role. The longtime aggressive AWPer started sharing the sniper with Jack “Jackinho” Ström Mattsson when Jackinho joined the team in January. Now, Fnatic has tasked him with primary AWPing duties, freeing up JW to “roam the map and look for the kinds of pop-off plays that [he] is known for.”
Those kinds of pop-off plays from JW have been missing over the past year, as has the quality of results an organization like Fnatic would expect. No new trophies have been added to their illustrious cabinet, with only a small portion of deep runs sprinkled on top of a large number of early exits at numerous tournaments.
While the team hopes these moves will help improve its short-term results, it’s clear that Fnatic is eyeing the long-term future. Peppzor and Fnatic’s young rising star Ludvig “Brollan” Brolin are both only 18 and Jackinho is only 22.
The retooled Fnatic will play next at Flashpoint Three with important Regional Major Ranking points on the line. They made an impressive run at the previous Flashpoint season, finishing third. But now, the stakes are much higher.
Flashpoint Three begins on May 10.
