Derke Announces Free Agency from Fnatic
After a more than three years with the team, Nikita "Derke" Sirmitev has announced his plans to depart from Fnatic and enter the off season as a restricted free agent.
Derke recently won the 2024 VCT EMEA Stage 2 with Fnatic in dominant fashion, with the team only dropping two maps across the entire playoffs bracket.
And yet, with VALORANT Champions 2024 marking the fourth consecutive Champions tournament at which Fnatic failed to meet expectations, the Finnish star duelist has decided the time has come to move in a different direction.
Big shoes to fill
Derke joined Fnatic VALORANT's squad in April of 2021, shortly after the team's creation. Ever since then, Fnatic has been a powerhouse in the European VALORANT scene.
Derke lifts the 2024 VCT EMEA Stage 2 trophy with Fnatic. (Credit: Michal Konkol/Riot Games)Unfortunately for Derke and Fnatic, however, the team was never able to carry that form into the biggest international tournaments.
Despite the team dropping out of VALORANT Champions 2024 in the lower bracket quarterfinals, however, Derke finished the tournament with an Average Combat Score (ACS) of 257.4, the highest out of any player at the event.
While the rest of the world wonders where Derke might land next, it's Fnatic's turn to set to the difficult task of finding a suitable replacement.
Having been the team's go-to guy almost since the very inception of VALORANT as an esport, there is no doubt that Fnatic and the fans will greatly miss Derke after his departure. In the end, only time will tell how this decision shapes the futures of both parties.
It is also worth nothing that Jake "Boaster" Howlett, Fnatic's seasoned in-game leader, has played alongside Derke since the creation of the team.
With that in mind, one thing is certain for Fnatic, adjusting to a new star player will take the team some time.
There's still plenty of VALORANT action ahead in the OFF//SEASON. So, check in with Strafe to catch all of the latest VALORANT news.
Also, stay tuned to Strafe YouTube for exclusive interviews, press conference and more.
Image Source: Wojciech Wandzel/Riot Games
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