Fnatic’s elimination from IEM Katowice may have led to some surprising roster moves.
A source recently informed
Dexerto
that AWPer Owen “smooya” Butterfield is being benched after the team’s underwhelming performance. Fnatic left the Major in ninth place, falling to FaZe Clan and Astralis in IEM Katowice’s group stage.
While smooya is a talented and popular player, it’s no secret that his performance has been lacking the past few months. He had a 1.01 HLTV rating in 2022. His impact also dropped to a concerning 0.92. smooya admitted right before IEM Katowice that he was in a slump.
“I don’t know how much I can say but on an individual level… The last month and a half it’s, like, I’m a different player… I’m trying to focus on what I’m good at and get my individual groove back. Then I think our team will be much better,” smooya told HLTV.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6NvDyBliHg
Even though smooya hasn’t been playing his best, it would still surprise fans to see the star player benched. On Twitter this morning, smooya said he would have news “coming soon,” but that he wasn’t sure what else to say. Most of his fans are speculating that the news might be good, while others are blaming Fnatic as a team for the bad showing at IEM Katowice and not smooya personally.
But according to Dexerto’s sources, the elimination from IEM Katowice has led Fnatic to replace smooya. The team has allegedly started reaching out to new AWPers to take his place. The updated roster may be revealed soon.
Fnatic is competing in the ESL Pro League Season 15 next month. If the rumors are true, this gives Fnatic a month to practice with the new roster. Meanwhile, smooya will no doubt be looking for another team to compete with, although his announcement will officially clear up his intentions soon.
Fnatic’s run at IEM Katowice may have ended in tragedy for smooya, but the playoffs are still an opportunity to celebrate. Avid CSGO fans interested in fantasy should check out PrizePick, an awesome site for player predictions. Craft your dream CSGO team for IEM Katowice and earn real prizes for going over and under on kills, headshots, and more.
Olivia Richman
About Olivia Richman
Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.
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