The FNCS Summit has kicked off for the weekend! Running in a bit of a weirder format, the FNCS Summit Day 1 results have been strange. We’ve seen some major teams fall behind early.
Although, unlike other FNCS LANs, this day isn’t the most important. The new format is featuring a group stage. With a lower and upper bracket. Teams playing on FNCS Summit Day 1 had to come in the top 25 if they wanted to move forward to the Grand Finals. With the bottom 25 having to go through the lower bracket on Day 2.
This raised the possibility of some pros throwing today for the extra live-tournament practise. But we still saw a very interesting opening day. Today’s results could set the tone for the entire weekend. This is what happened over FNCS Summit Day 1.
FNCS Summit Day 1
NA Gets Early Wins, but EA Controls the Leaderboard
Game 1 got off to a weird start with NA Pros under pressure, looking like an early repeat of the Global Championship. Clix was conned off spawn. But the big fall apart came from Peterbot. killed by Yuma in 1 -v-1. Leaving Pollo to hide in storm to try and sneak back out. The whole thing ran the risk of having two former LAN winners leaving game 1 with 4 points, and probably a significant confidence knock. They got the reboot off, but it was an early mess.
Clix’s off spawn fight extended far into the game. As both sets of Duos refused to let things go. The change to storm surge has mainly meant more action-packed mid-games like this. instead of the old trade fest we used to have.
Clix went on to make some crazy plays with weird Fortnite items in the later game. Trying to push others off height and showing a bit of confidence. It was Kami who held on to height heading into the late game though. Rapid and Cold went on to push them off as the storm started to move. NA Dios overall were making bigger waves in FNCS Summit 1 Day 1’s first game. Rapid and Cold ended up taking the win after that height play.
In Game 2, Clix and Higgs were two of the first players out of the game. A good performance in Game 1 doesn’t mean a good weekend, and it looked like EU was surging ahead once again.
These game trading back and forth results show the problems with being conned off spawn. You play half your games, you miss out on a ton of potential points. It’s why some teams would rather drop the middle of nowhere than fight off spawn.
Cold and Rapid followed their win with a rougher Game 2, with one of them going down early.
Peterbot and Pollo got themselves together in Game 2, pulling off some better fights in the mid-game. But did go down early again
Thanks to the new smaller format for each day, two good games even started to push some Duos into qualified for Grand Finals status already.
EU is More Consistent
Sky, the EU Major 1 winner, had a good effort to clutch up solo in Game 2. As EU winners they maybe had the most pressure coming in to the weekend.
Vico and Malibuca started to pop off in the late game. Search around builds for a refresh but well positioned. The final circle got a bit anti-climactic as most of the teams were so high on the leaderboard there wasn’t much room to drop down.
It stated to expose a messy problem with the format. The smaller Fortnite regions never perform too well at LAN, but get their slots because of how the regions work. When the top 25 move forward, the skill gap was a bit big to keep the format interesting.
The game ended with a pressured a Vico ratting through the builds, but Boltz and Acorn took the win. EU held more of the top 5 spots, but NA had gotten both wins.
Finalists Start to Lock in
Things got tighter still in Game 3. With players finding ways to pair various healing and mobility for extreme effects. We also saw some great players knocked out early. Peterbot and Pollo locked in for the mid-game, but after their FNCS Summit 1 Day 1 so far, another LAN win is starting to feel quite far away.
After Pete went down, Pollo manages to survive a decent time longer even picking up kills with an impressive solo performance. Cold and Rapid were the stand out though. In height and pushing into the last few Duos. Scroll and Sky did start to bring in more of that Major 1 energy, going down to a 1-v-1 against Cr1nge. Scroll died eventually but it was a messy final circle that opened things back up.
With the whole top 25 moving forward, the half way point probably means a lot less pressure for a good number of teams.
Game 4 after the break, we saw an up-and-coming duo take the win, Syaaz and scaryshawn. These are two European controller players. So great to get input diversity back in FNCS winners. Game 5 saw an EU win with Curve and Deno. But sneaking into a resounding lead was darm and demus. These two developed a nearly forty-point lead over the course of the FNCS Summit 1 Day 1 going into the final game.
In that last game, there was a clear note that not everyone was feeling the tension. the format meant half the lobby didn’t have much to play for and they made it known, with brainrot skins.
Darm and Demus have had an impressive run todya though, with consistency showing they’re performing at the top of the lobby. No wins, but average placement of six. in a LAN lobby this stacked, it’s consistency that matters most.
