Image Credit: Riot Games
For a long time, Fnatic reigned supreme as the premier force in the VCT EMEA landscape. Boasting a pair of international championships and numerous appearances on the global stage, the organization’s steady performance and local supremacy stood in stark contrast to the persistent struggles faced by the rest of the EMEA region in comparison to its global peers.
Entering the 2026 competitive year fresh off consecutive top-two finishes at international events the previous year, Fnatic’s ambitions were sky-high once more. Yet, in a shocking turn of events, the roster failed to secure a spot at any of the three international VCT tournaments throughout the year.
This left the entire VALORANT community bewildered: What triggered Fnatic’s collapse this year? What caused the undisputed kings of a region once dismissed as a “one-team region” to miss VALORANT Champions for the first time since the circuit’s inception?
On September 8th, Fnatic caught their supporters off guard by revealing they would permit their VALORANT squad members to seek other prospects. This news sparked immediate concern among the fanbase, particularly because it affected Jake “Boaster” Howlett, widely regarded as the heart and soul of the lineup. Parting ways with Boaster would represent a massive loss—yet Fnatic concluded that this path was the most beneficial for both the organization and the roster.
“While this does not mark a definitive conclusion regarding any specific player’s tenure with Fnatic, it provides all parties the opportunity to evaluate potential paths forward individually before we establish our strategy for 2027. We intend to maintain close collaboration with the entire roster throughout the off-season and will provide additional details as things develop,” the organization stated.
What circumstances precipitated this startling development?
Author’s Note: As supporters, spectators, or commentators, our perspective on an esports organization’s inner workings is naturally restricted. While we can formulate opinions based on match broadcasts, media appearances, and official announcements, we remain unaware of the internal dialogues and operational choices required to fully grasp the situation.
Furthermore, a team’s or player’s competitive struggles should never be used as an excuse for hostility. All critiques and evaluations must be communicated in a constructive, civil manner.
Losing the VCT Off-Season
Image Credit: Wojciech Wandzel/Riot Games
Prior to the launch of the 2026 VCT campaign, Fnatic faced the daunting prospect of finding a successor for Timofey “Chronicle” Khromov, a foundational pillar of the lineup and one of the most decorated competitors in professional VALORANT history.
Mirroring the departure of former Fnatic star Nikita “Derke” Sirmitev the year before, Chronicle opted to transfer to Team Vitality. In his place, Fnatic signed former Gentle Mates representative Sylvain “Veqaj” Pattyn. Although Veqaj was largely an unproven asset to the fan base, he made a promising debut during the club’s off-season showcase with INZONE.
Under the newly implemented triple-elimination system for VCT Kickoff, Fnatic found themselves relegated to the middle bracket immediately following their opening matchup against BBL Esports. Even at this early stage, the roster exhibited worrying difficulties adapting to the high-tempo, micro-intensive meta currently defining VALORANT. Instead, the team clung to their preferred deliberate, default-centric strategies.
These issues persisted for the rest of the Kickoff tournament. Even though they managed to survive the middle bracket through hard-fought victories and spectacular individual plays, it was evident that Fnatic had miscalculated the prevailing meta. Consequently, the team was forced to play catch-up, desperately trying to integrate double-duelist compositions in the middle of the tournament.
The roster attempted to inject quicker execution plays into their strategy, but these maneuvers appeared unpolished during actual matches. Furthermore, Fnatic faced criticism for failing to position one of their primary playmakers, Emir “Alfajer” Beder, on a duelist agent or Chamber on specific maps.
Image Credit: Michał Konkol/Riot Games
Regarding map pools, Fnatic lacked a reliable home ground during Kickoff, with Corrode proving to be particularly unstable. This vulnerability was fully capitalized on by Team Liquid in the Lower Bracket Final, as they overwhelmed Fnatic on Corrode using an unexpected team composition. Before this, Fnatic had dropped a razor-thin Middle Bracket Final to Gentle Mates (2-3) and were subsequently swept by Team Liquid (0-3).
“The outcome of the Lower Bracket match didn’t shock me as much, in a strange way. […] When analyzing Fnatic’s stamina, I always feel that because they put so much hard work in, they are more vulnerable. And because the expectations are so immense, they are naturally more prone to these kinds of setbacks,” former Fnatic coach Jacob “mini” Harris commented on Plat Chat.
“I believe it is advantageous to be the dark horse team, or simply the squad that doesn’t actually put in as much preparation, and just turns up on match day with sharp aim.”
Even so, the community’s outlook remained optimistic following Fnatic’s consecutive defeats in the Kickoff Finals. The team, after all, had a reputation for slow starts at Kickoff before gradually finding their footing as the VCT season progressed.
VCT EMEA Stage 1: A Harsh Wake-Up Call in the Playoffs
Image Credit: Michał Konkol/Riot Games
Fnatic kicked off VCT EMEA Stage 1 with a flawless 5-0 run. However, after claiming the top seed in their group, the team was rapidly sent packing from the Playoffs following back-to-back defeats. What caused this sudden collapse?
One perspective is that Fnatic’s dominant run early in the stage created an exaggerated sense of their actual strength. Virtually everyone pinned Fnatic as the top squad in EMEA, viewing their qualification for Masters London—the season’s second international VCT event—as a foregone conclusion. Even when navigating matches with Assistant Coach Casper “Desmo” Rasmussen and later Clément “CyvOph” Millard stepping in as emergency substitutes for Veqaj, the team appeared unbeatable.
Underneath this flawless exterior, however, fundamental cracks had been forming. While Fnatic successfully navigated the Neon-Waylay meta, they completely overlooked the utility of Vyse compared to more conventional Sentinels.
“There is now a very plausible argument that Fnatic hasn’t been at the forefront of any meta for quite a while now,” mini observed on Plat Chat. “Like, what even defines a ‘Fnatic composition’ these days? I can’t recall the last time someone pointed to a setup and said, ‘Oh, they’re utilizing the signature Fnatic comp.’”
On top of that, their map pool limitations resurfaced, as Fnatic consistently dropped their own map selections toward the end of the stage. In truth, the team had not been pushed to their limits during the Group Stage. When thrust into the high-pressure environment of the Playoffs, their flaws were laid bare, and the chaotic mid-tournament player swaps finally took their toll.
Image Credit: Michał Konkol/Riot Games
With Fnatic failing to qualify for consecutive international VCT events for the first time ever, concerns began to mount regarding the immense pressure placed on the roster. This sentiment was painfully highlighted in an emotional interview with Fnatic’s leader Boaster, conducted by freelance reporter Pedro Romero.
“For me, those three grand final losses last year… I still feel incredibly down when I reflect on them. I haven’t truly […] moved past it or recovered,” Boaster admitted following their Stage 1 exit. “I feel like I am constantly battling my own mind. It’s not always terrible, but after we lose matches, I just constantly feel like it is entirely my fault.”
He subsequently remarked: “Perhaps my time is… No, I don’t believe I am completely finished, but I don’t know. I just wish my performance was better.”
VCT EMEA Stage 2: Overcomplicating the Game
By this point, Fnatic’s chances of securing a spot at VALORANT Champions through championship points were slim, making a top-two finish in EMEA Stage 2 their only realistic path forward.
Faced with this intense scenario, the team startled the community by making two sudden roster adjustments: Head Coach Milan “Milan” de Meij was replaced by Karmine Corp’s Andrey “Engh” Sholokhov, and CyvOph was swapped out for former GIANTX leader Kirill “Cloud” Nekhozhin.
Ahead of EWC and VCT EMEA Stage 2, we’re excited to welcome @ENGHHHHHH as our new Head Coach.* We’re confident that the experience and knowledge Engh brings to the server will have a positive impact on us finishing out the season strong. To introduce our newest addition to… pic.twitter.com/yStivtr68a— FNATIC (@FNATIC) May 29, 2026
While some commentators questioned the immediate viability of these adjustments and the potential for role conflicts, Engh was widely expected to implement the swift, coordinated site execution plays that Fnatic desperately lacked.
Instead, Fnatic struggled to move past their slow, deliberate shot-calling style during Stage 2, all while trying to run double-duelist setups. Furthermore, their map pool struggles remained unresolved. Fnatic’s strategic depth looked deficient on Sunset, Summit, Ascent, and Breeze.
To make matters worse, one of their primary duelists, Kajetan “kaajak” Haremski, suffered an uncharacteristic drop in performance during Stage 2. Fnatic looked completely disorganized, hitting rock bottom during a humiliating 0-13 shutout on Ascent against Team Heretics.
Image Credit: Michał Konkol/Riot Games
Entering the Play-Ins, the roster attempted to patch over their vulnerabilities through role shuffles and strategic tweaks. However, this onslaught of adjustments forced Boaster into over-managing his teammates, leaving Fnatic highly vulnerable to aggressive, self-assured opponents.
“I believe Boaster maintains a level of structural expectation that simply doesn’t align with what this meta permits,” is how mini summarized Boaster’s shot-calling struggles on Plat Chat.
Ultimately, Fnatic was eliminated by the Challenger roster Joblife in the lower bracket of the Play-Ins. Analyst and content creator Thinking Man’s Valorant identified the core issue plaguing the team: “This is the recurring theme that I think is consistent with Fnatic and the reason they are faltering so much: whenever their rivals do anything out of the ordinary, they seem to simply have no idea how to adapt.”
Consequently, the road ahead remains highly unpredictable for Fnatic, their supporters, and the roster itself.
