Fnatic announced on Wednesday, September 10, the end of Leo "Leo" Jannesson’s contract, as well as he's stepping away from competitive VALORANT. The Swedish Initiator, who has been on the bench of the English club for over a year due to serious health issues, is therefore unlikely to return to professional play. Colin “CoJo” Johnson, the director of Fnatic’s VALORANT division, had already announced on August 13 that Leo would not be participating in Champions Paris, and that Austin “crashies” Roberts would take the active roster spot.

In that previous statement, CoJo had also mentioned that “an update regarding Leo and his future will be shared in the coming months.” According to the Global Contract Database, his contract with the British organization was set to run until the end of 2025, and it has now officially concluded, alongside his competitive career.

Long-Term Illness Ends Competitive Career

According to team captain Jake “Boaster” Howlett, Leo suffers from long COVID-19 — a rare but recognized condition — which completely prevents him from competing. As Boaster explained during a livestream in August 2024, Leo struggles to remain in front of a computer for extended periods without experiencing extreme fatigue and dizziness. This condition makes it impossible to maintain a professional VALORANT training schedule, keeping him away from official competitions for over a year.

Despite the absence of their Swedish star, once considered one of the best players in the world, Fnatic has secured their spot for Champions Paris and will aim to claim the ultimate VALORANT esports title. Before joining Fnatic, Leo played for BONK and especially Guild, achieving numerous tournament wins and qualifications, including Red Bull Home Ground #4, VCT 2024: EMEA Stage 1, and Superdome 2022. His two most notable achievements remain VALORANT Masters Tokyo 2023 and VCT 2023: LOCK//IN São Paulo.