This is what a Zeri Masterclass looks like
Our LEC MVP for Week 8: Fnatic's Upset
A 3-0 LEC superweek saw Fnatic squeeze in the top 6 and get a playoff spot, and they their AD Carry Elias "Upset" Lipp to thank for it.
After assembling one of the most well-regarded rosters in their history and barely missing the finals during their spring finals, many fans expected Fnatic to be a powerhouse during the summer split. Sadly, they would have to be disappointed. Before the superweek that ended the regular season, Fnatic were at 7-8 and tied for sixth place with Excel Esports and Astralis. The team had been plagued by period losses of form and poor coordination. If the roster wasn't on form for the superweek, there was a good chance that Fnatic, unthinkable as it may be, might miss playoffs.
During the superweek, Fnatic would have to face Astralis, Team Vitality and Misfits Gaming - one of its direct competitors and two teams that sat comfortably above them. For the team to make top 6, they needed to win at least two games - and for that, everyone needed to be on point, especially the bot lane that had shown itself to be quite vulnerable during the last few weeks. Fortunately for Fnatic, Upset was ready to play.
Ride the Lightning (Crash)
In his first game of the weekend, the German ADC picked Lucian against Astralis. An early kill in a 3v3 teamfight gave him extra resources and he made good use of them, pressuring his opponents and helping his team get the win. However, it was in the Saturday game versus Team Vitality that he really shone. In a hard-fought battle where Vitality often had the lead, Upset's Zeri became a late-game terror monstering through the teamfights. He didn't just win the game for his team, but also smashed the LEC damage per minute record that had stood for seven years.
Upset got his hands on Zeri once more that weekend, picking her against Misfits Gaming in the Sunday game, and the results were quite similar. He got several early kills that supercharged the character and she was once more Fnatic's trump card against a difficult opponent, leading to another win that resulted in Fnatic tying Misfits for fourth place. In the tiebreaker, his Ezreal was a victim of Fnatic's overreach which Misfits punished incredibly well and he could do little to stop their comeback, so Fnatic ended the split in fifth place.
Stats for the Week
A respectable performance on Lucian followed by two absolutely amazing games on Zeri would have given Upset a KDA to die for, if it weren't for the tiebreaker to bring his stats down. Still, Fnatic wouldn't even get there if it weren't for him.
| Champion | Kills | Deaths | Assists |
| Game 1: Lucian | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| Game 2: Zeri | 14 | 1 | 1 |
Game 3: Zeri | 9 | 0 | 6 |
| Game 4: Ezreal | 0 | 3 | 1 |
Read More:
- Two Tiebreakers End LEC Superweek
- Our LEC MVP for Week 7: G2 Esports' Flakked
- Our LEC MVP for Week 6: Team Vitality's Perkz
The LEC summer playoffs start next week, on August 26th. Will Upset lead Fnatic to a victory against Excel and a potential top 4 spot that takes them to Worlds or would Excel Esports be the dark horse once more?