After being the uncontested best region, EMEA is looking flatter than ever in 2023. FNATIC FNATIC Europe Rank #6 crashies Austin Roberts Boaster Jake Howlett kaajak Kajetan Haremski Chronicle Timofey Khromov Alfajer Emir Ali Beder are the only top-level contenders in the region, and have isolated themselves from Natus Vincere Natus Vincere Europe Rank #16 ANGE1 Kyrylo Karasov Shao Andrey Kiprsky Ruxic Uğur Güç hiro Emirhan Kat koalanoob Gianfranco Potestio . The latter went from a title favorite to not even a title contender in four months.

Going into Champions 2023, there are two big questions for EMEA: First, can FNATIC keep up their performance, get the three-peat and win Champions? And second, can NAVI bounce back from their underwhelming recent performances?

It's no secret FNATIC are the isolated favorites to win Champions this year. The team has only faltered once this year, when they fell short of the VCT EMEA 2023 title. But, in return, they swept LOCK//IN and mopped the floor at Masters Tokyo.

The team has an absurd 44-8 map record and 20-1 match record this year. That one blemish is the VCT EMEA grand final they lost, but not even that has stopped FNATIC from topping every tournament's statistics sheet and claiming both of the year's MVPs. They were also the only team in the world to finish in the top four of every VCT event this year.

FNATIC lift Masters Tokyo trophy Three-peat time, FNATIC? (Photo by Liu YiCun/Riot Games)

NAVI sit nearly on the other end of the spectrum. While the team was considered one of the best teams in the world after their stellar 2022 years, even reaching the top four at LOCK//IN, their form quickly shrunk.

The ANGE1 and Erik -led squad barely reached Masters Tokyo, claiming the fourth seed. But they quickly returned home, with just one map win to their name in the two matches NAVI played.

In other hands, over a 12-month period, NAVI went from a team on the verge of being a title favorite to not even being a title contender. They sit far down in the community power rankings, and are the least-picked team to reach playoffs from Group D. But there's at least one positive to that.

“We are underdogs in [Champions]. I feel it makes us stronger, to play under pressure,” d00mbr0s said. “I think public opinion [of us] has changed and I think it's in our favor. We can use that for extra energy. I'm not scared of any team.”

NAVI on the VCT EMEA LCQ stage d00mbr0s is convinced NAVI can win Champions. Others, maybe not so much. (Photo by: Hara Amorós/Riot Games/LVP)

EMEA has been on top ever since the VCT was born. No other region has surpassed EMEA in international titles. It sits at five, to the Americas' three and the Pacific's zero. Of those five titles, NAVI (formerly FunPlus Phoenix FunPlus Phoenix Inactive SUYGETSU Dmitry Ilyushin Zyppan Pontus Eek ANGE1 Kyrylo Karasov Shao Andrey Kiprsky ardiis Ardis Svarenieks ) hold one and FNATIC two others.

And coming into 2023, those teams were largely considered two of the best in the world. But after what the past few months have showed us, FNATIC sit alone at the top of that mountain. NAVI have a lot to recover if they want to be thrown in that hat and remain there come 2024.

Several teams may be considered title contenders. something is finally joining Paper Rex Paper Rex Asia-Pacific Rank #6 mindfreak Aaron Leonhart Jinggg Wang Jing Jie f0rsakeN Jason Susanto d4v41 Khalish Rusyaidee something Ilya Petrov . Evil Geniuses Evil Geniuses North America Rank #20 Derrek Derrek Ha NaturE Nicholas Garrison supamen Phat Le icy Jacob Lange yay Jaccob Whiteaker look cohesive, at long last. NRG Esports NRG Esports North America Rank #4 FiNESSE Pujan Mehta s0m Sam Oh Verno Andrew Maust mada Adam Pampuch Ethan Ethan Arnold , LOUD LOUD Brazil Rank #1 dgzin Douglas Silva v1nny Vínicius Gonçalves pANcada Bryan Luna tuyz Arthur Andrade cauanzin Cauan Pereira and DRX DRX Korea Rank #4 Flashback Cho Min-hyuk (조민혁) MaKo Kim Myeong-gwan (김명관) free1ng No Ha-jun (노하준) HYUNMIN Song Hyun-min (송현민) BeYN Kang Ha-bin (강하빈) are definite contenders if they can find their magic once more.

But it would be ludicrous to consider anyone other than FNATIC as title favorites.