Fnatic Welcomes Sayonara, Confirm Leo for VCT 2025 season
The defending Champions of VCT EMEA, Fnatic have welcomed Ștefan "Sayonara" Mîtcu into their fold for the Off//Season events including Red Bull Home Ground #5 and Riot Games One Tokyo.
On the same note, they also announced the return of the in-house Sova main Leo “Leo” Jannesson for the upcoming VCT season.
Fnatic invests in the Future
The first introduction, Sayonara is a 16-year old Moldovan prodigy that recently played under KPI Gaming and isn't eligible to play in VCT until March, 2026.
In the four months with the KPI Gaming squad, the rookie helped the team secure the VCL Spain Split 1 title, place third in Split 2 and qualify for VCT EMEA Ascension 2024.
In the three tournaments he played in Tier 2, he was the best performing player for KPI Gaming. He was only outshone by kaajaak, another alleged Fnatic pickup, in terms of stats at VCT EMEA Ascension.
The time with Fnatic will be Sayonara’s opportunity to test his mettle against Tier 1 of VALORANT and understand what makes a Tier 1 team.
The move also displays Fnatic’s willingness to make a move and invest in their future and shape up upcoming talent. It also helps their case when Sayonara is ready to compete in a year and receives offers from multiple teams.
The return of the Leo
Fnatic also confirmed the return of Leo to the roster for the VCT 2025 season. The Swedish initiator went on a break earlier this season due to health concerns. He has not played since their VCT 2024: Masters Shanghai loss to FUT.
Leo’s return also unofficially confirms the Fnatic roster for VCT 2025, with kajaak reportedly replacing Derke for the upcoming year. With EMEA making moves to import some big names from all over, it’d be interesting to see how Fnatic with their new duelist will fare.
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Featured Image Credits: Riot Games // Valorant Champions Tour
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