“I’ve always thought of us as the best team”: Finnsi on Virtus.pro’s comeback in Marvel Rivals Ignite 

The Marvel Rivals Ignite Grand Finals is around the corner, concluding the hero shooter’s first official esports series with an LAN showdown in DreamHack Atlanta after several months of intense competitive play. 

The tournament is part of NetEase’s recently introduced premier esports circuit, where the top teams from around the world compete across various stages and events for a share of its $3m (~£2.25m) prize pool. 

One of the qualified teams looking to take the champion title later this year is Virtus.pro, an organisation once hailed as the best team in the world, now aiming for the ultimate comeback after falling short in Ignite Stage 1. 

Esports Insider sat down with Virtus.pro’s professional Vanguard player, Finnbjörn ‘Finnsi’ Jónasson, to reflect on the team’s performance ahead of the Ignite Grand Finals. 

Virtus.pro recently became the champion roster of Marvel Rivals Ignite Stage 2 EMEA. After topping its respective group during the Group Stage, and defeating OG Seed and chopped in the Playoffs, it was a clear return of form for the roster. 

It ended its run with a 4-2 revenge victory against Citadel Gaming in the Grand Final after losing to the opponent by 2-3 in the Upper Bracket Finals.

“So we kind of used the Upper Bracket matches as a test and trial to see what’s good against them and see what’s bad,” Finnsi shared. “So we knew if we lost against them, we’d go to the Lower Bracket and play against Natus Vincere, and then we would be more prepared for the next time. Come the [Grand] Finals, we studied that obviously, and we learned better how to beat them and what we should play against them.”

The team’s victory in Stage 2 lies in stark contrast to Ignite Stage 1, where it missed out on the two guaranteed spots for the Ignite Mid-Season Finals after losing to Citadel Gaming (then Brr Brr Patapim) by 2-3 in the Lower Bracket Finals. 

This was a major upset for both fans and commentators alike, as Virtus.pro had established itself as one of the best teams in Europe — and potentially the world — following its win in the 2025 EMEA Invitational and its winning streak at Rivals Fight Night. 

After becoming the new champions of EMEA in Ignite Stage 2, Virtus.pro enters the international event with hopes of living up to its reputation as it faces off against the best teams from across the regions. 

“It obviously feels very good,” Finnsi commented. “Especially because in Stage 1 we came up really short, and ended in third place and didn’t get to LAN. So we really wanted to make this one count and do our best, and especially make LAN.

”I’ve always thought of us as the best team, and we always do great against everyone in practice and everything. So I think this time, we got to show off what we can actually do.”

Virtus.pro is set to compete against 11 other teams at DreamHack Atlanta from October 27th to November 2nd. All participants will be fighting for the lion’s share of a $1m (~£745,000) prize pool and bragging rights as the best team in the world for the year. 

The tournament will feature heavy-hitters, such as Americas Stage 2 champion 100 Thieves and Mid-Season Finals runners-up ENVY. Despite facing the best rosters from across the world, Finnsi anticipates that Virtus.pro’s biggest competitors are its fellow EMEA teams, Natus Vincere and Citadel Gaming. 

“I think EMEA is the strongest region,” he said. “So obviously, we think we have a really good chance. FlyQuest and ENVY from Americas are obviously very good as well. So I think we will have some close matches and some fun ones.” 

The Grand Final will take place during Season 4.5, which has already shaken up both the casual and competitive scenes. With the rise of the triple support meta, alongside the addition of new characters Angela and Daredevil, fans can anticipate new comps, bans and strategies. 

Finnsi said: “Venom and Psylocke are really good at the moment. I think there will definitely be more dive [comps] in the Atlanta LAN, as it was a bit more dive-centric in this last tournament (Stage 2).  

“So I think it’s going to be even stronger now, especially if people can make Daredevil work. He can be a good diver as well, but we played with him a bit, and he seems kind of weak at the moment, but maybe that’s just because people don’t know how to play him yet.” 

Marvel Rivals is approaching its first anniversary since its official launch in December 2024. In this brief time, various teams have entered and left the scene. While some, like FUT Esports and Natus Vincere, announced their debuts, others, like Ex Oblivione, have disbanded their rosters. 

Since entering the scene earlier this year, Virtus.pro has remained one of the few teams without roster changes. Finnsi shared that he has played with the majority of his teammates since the alpha and believes it has been a factor in Virtus.pro’s success in the scene.

“It’s definitely beneficial,” the player added. “Since we have a lot of chemistry with each other, and everyone knows each other very well, and we know all the strats together. So I’m happy we have been able to do this without making roster changes, and we can see that we didn’t need to, since we just won Ignite Stage 2.”

Marvel Rivals has also held several other esports events since launch. Outside the Ignite series, it has also held Seasonal Championships, regional Invitationals, and several creators have organised their own tournaments in collaboration with NetEase Games. 

While the success of Marvel Rivals as an esports is still up for debate, the Grand Finals remain a highly anticipated event for many fans and professional players. The crowning event will close off the first official series run by NetEase for Marvel Rivals, though only time will tell whether it has paid off or if it will return for another season. 

“I think they’re doing pretty good this year so far,” Finnsi stated. “Obviously, they’re putting a lot of money into it, so I think they’re doing fine in that regard. So, maybe I would just say more LAN spots for each region, so more teams can show off what they can do.”