"I guess you could say we've been pretty worn out"

"I guess you could say that we've been pretty worn out. After PGL we've been able to really take things in our own stride and really come up with a lot of new ideas as well as a revitalized gameplan. The recent results have therefore not been a cause for worry or something we've even put much thought into at all really. We're still disappointed though, we still want to win everything we compete in", vuggo tells Fragbite.



vuggo lifting the trophy with Fnatic at ESL One Cologne

"Given the results we've been experiencing recently it feels as if the community has us pegged as the underdogs, placing us behind TSM, EnVyUs and VP. Had we continued to dominate post-Cologne and entered Cluj as favorites we might've felt different in our approach, but right now we are more driven to win than ever before."

"We'll need to bring our A-game"

"Even before we played them at ESL One Cologne, Luminosity had shown they were fierce opposition in scrims. We even said ahead of that major that they were the team with the biggest chance of causing a major upset, and that view hasn't changed. They have a good mix of players who compliment each other's skillsets very well, and play a slow and methodical style that works very well against us. We'll need to bring our A-game if we hope to advance in first place."



Luminosity may pose a bigger threat than we anticipate.

"Vexed is the definite underdog of the group and in Cologne we beat them with a 16-2 scoreline during the group stage. I have a hunch they'll be somewhat of a punching bag in this group. On the topic of Cloud9, I think they may have overperformed during the summer, especially if you compare how they look now to a few months ago. They're still an elite team, but in their current shape I think it's safe to assume we'll be exiting the group as winners."

"Regarding teams that may have flown under the radar, I think Luminosity for the reasons I already mentioned. I also don't think you can count out NiP, who look as if they have found their form these past weeks."

Article translated by Fragbite's Sam "Wndwrt" Nordmark.

In CS you will find many Swedish teams that have gone down in history following dominant streaks against international competition. Few line-ups however are able to contend with the current day fnatic roster, which some experts will argue stands as the greatest line-up to-date in the game's legacy.To argue against that statement is difficult. Having made the finals of three separate major grand finals, this iteration of the team has won the two most recent in a row, effectively making them the first two-time world champions in CS:GO, and are now aiming to secure their third and become the first team to ever win all major tournaments in a year.Despite their accolades throughout 2015, Fnatic in recent times has been anything but consistent. Being able to defeat giants like Virtus.pro and NiP seems like commonplace the one day, yet brutal losses to rivals such as EnVyUs and Team SoloMid can follow the next. This dip has seen even the most enthusiastic of Fnatic fans question the impact the Swedish all-stars will have in the Romanian major next week.When asked, the team's coach Viktor "vuggo" Jendeby explains the difficulty of maintaining the consistency of both the team as well as each individual player after having gone through the emotional turmoil of winning a major. He adds that the team's dedicated practice has also suffered after a well-needed pause following their resounding victory at ESL One Cologne this August. Citing constant travel to several events being scheduled close to one another as the main reason behind this. Jendeby expresses little concern of this going into the major, however.Despite being the team's relatively fresh coach, Jendeby has held a keen eye on fnatic on a personal, as well as analytical level for a long time. He has, amongst other things, provided strategic input to the team since before the current fnatic's first major victory at ESL One Katowice at the start of the year.With two major medals around his neck — one as an analyst and one as coach — you'd imagine he'd approach the upcoming major in a different light. He rejects this notion, and claims that he feels no additional pressure, nor confidence, entering Cluj-Napoca as a reigning champion.In the upcoming major, fnatic have been placed in Group A, which they share with Luminosity, Cloud9 and Vexed Gaming. The aforementioned Luminosity, the sole Brazilian team at the top of the game’s competitive scene, has come out fighting in both of the majors played in 2015. At ESL One Katowice they upset their way to a playoff-spot, and managed to repeat the feat at ESL One Cologne.Despite their relative success the general consensus is that they will be a relatively easy match for the defending champions, at least on paper. Fnatic, who are favorites going into the match, defeated Luminosity at last major's quarter finals in a 2-0 sweep. Jendeby doesn't count the Brazilians out fully however.When it comes to the two remaining teams in Group A, North American stalwarts Cloud9 and Polish newcomers Vexed Gaming, Jendeby doesn't seem as worried. Despite Cloud9 having an incredible summer which catapulted them up the global world rankings, the last two months have been dire for the team. Similarly, the clashes between fnatic and Vexed have consisted of genuine stomps from the Swedish side.DreamHack Cluj-Napoca will begin on Wednesday next week, and will feature 16 of the world's best teams. Fnatic are one of the obvious favorites, but is not alone in this category and can expect fierce resistance. Virtus.pro, Team SoloMid and EnVyUs, to name a few, all look like contenders for the title. In his closing words Jendeby also mentions that their Brazilian contemporaries as well as their countrymen in NiP shouldn't be counted out.