After a tough 2–0 defeat to Fnatic in the
VALORANT VCT EMEA Stage 2 Week 2 tournament, KOI's latest recruit,
Nathan "nataNk" Bocqueho, talks about the match, how he's settling into the team, and the difficulties of competing at the highest international level.
Tonight’s match was one of the most challenging of the season, and it ended in a 2–0 victory for FNC, although you put up a solid fight on Haven. How do you feel after this loss, and in your opinion, what was missing from your team’s performance to win the series?
Nathan "nataNk" Bocqueho: "The second map really came down to small details. It’s tough, but against a team like Fnatic, who reached the finals of both the Esports World Cup and Masters 2025 Toronto, you know it’s going to be demanding. They’re an extremely consistent roster, and honestly, I think they’ve been the best team in the world this year so far. We’ll see what they show at Champions, of course, but I believe we can still be proud of our performance.
On Sunset, we definitely could have put up more of a fight. On Haven, as I said, it came down to small things, and against a team as strong as Fnatic, those minor details end up costing you a lot. Well played to them.
You’ve just joined KOI after a brief stint with Leviatán. How would you assess your integration into the team and your performance so far?
nataNk: I wasn’t entirely satisfied with my first performance against Liquid. But today, we had a lot of discussions within the team about what I needed to bring to the table. I applied that feedback, and this week already feels better. I think I’ve started to find my role in the team, and things are progressively improving.
To be honest, we’ve played the two most difficult matches of the season so far, and I don’t think we were timid or held back. I’m looking forward to this next week of practice and to seeing what we can bring to our upcoming matches. The goal is definitely to qualify for the playoffs with this group.
KOI recently revamped its roster by signing you, and we’ve seen you take on both Initiator and Duelist roles, including playing Sova and Iso today. What is your current role within this entirely restructured composition?
nataNk: At the moment, I’m playing quite a variety of agents. I wouldn’t say I play all of them perfectly, but I won’t get into the exact number either. I’m tasked with adapting based on the team’s needs and the comps we want to run. I enjoy playing different agents as long as I clearly identify my role on each map and prepare accordingly.
Once I fully understand my responsibilities and what the team expects from me, that’s when I perform at my best. With time, I think things will only continue to improve.
Your group is particularly competitive, with teams like Fnatic and Team Liquid. If you had to rank KOI within this group right now, where would you place the team, and why?
nataNk: After this week, I would place us third. We lost to Fnatic and Liquid. As for Liquid, I honestly think if we had played them later in the season, after more time to develop, we might have been able to beat them. They're a very solid team. Players like Keiko, nAts. Keiko especially has been incredible statistically this season.
So yeah, I’d say we’re third. I believe we can take down NAVI, Karmine Corp, and Apeks. But right now, we’re up against the wall: we have to win all three of our remaining matches if we want to secure playoffs. Maybe two wins could be enough, but we’re aiming for three just to be safe.
Photo by Michal Konkol/Riot Games
What is the team’s objective for Split 2, and do you personally feel any pressure representing KOI in the VCT?
nataNk: No, I don’t feel too much pressure representing the organization.
As for our objective, it’s to do better than last season. The team didn’t manage to win a single match across the last two splits. We’ve had a few losses already, but we’ve also shown a much better face.
Our main goal is to qualify for the playoffs. And once there, with enough preparation and hard work, why not aim for a strong performance? But yes, reaching the playoffs is the clear first step, and then we’ll see how far we can go if we continue to progress.
You previously played with Gentle Mates, winning Ascension EMEA 2023, and then joined Leviatán. How have those past experiences shaped your current approach at KOI?
nataNk: That’s actually something I haven’t spoken much about before, but I really underestimated how big the transition would be from playing in a fully French-speaking team to communicating entirely in English.
I’ve always considered myself someone with solid English skills. I can express myself well, but the real challenge is in listening and instantly processing information. When someone gives you a call in English, it might take you an extra second to fully absorb it, whereas in your native language, the reaction is immediate. I truly didn’t realize how much of an impact that delay would have. I thought, I speak good English, I’ll be fine. But in reality, the "listening part" is where I need the most work, especially when things move fast.
Also, I noticed I tended to speak in full sentences like: “Oh, there are two B,” instead of just saying “2B.” In high-pressure situations, brevity is key, and I had to adjust to that. I’ve learned from it, and I’m actively working to improve this aspect of my game.
Let’s briefly touch on your time with Leviatán. What do you think the team was missing to become a staple of VCT Americas? And is there anything you could have done to have a greater impact on that roster?
nataNk: Honestly, I think they were a bit too quick to make changes. I respect their decision, of course, but it’s something I still see as unfortunate.
Even though I don’t have many regrets because I worked incredibly hard and was fully aware of the opportunity I had playing in VCT Americas, I do wish we could have addressed things differently. I poured my energy into the team and the game. But instead of identifying problems together and trying to fix them through communication, it felt like issues were being addressed without involving me directly. I wish we could’ve had those conversations.
In my opinion, we weren’t aligned in certain ways, and with better communication, I believe we could have worked through those issues.
You’re currently playing alongside Kamil "baddyG" Graniczka, who was previously your teammate at Vitality. Did his arrival at KOI influence your decision to join? And what’s your relationship like with him?
nataNk: baddyG is someone I really appreciate. Even when I wasn’t at Vitality anymore and had joined Gentle Mates, we kept queuing ranked games together. We genuinely enjoy playing side by side.
He brings a lot to the team, especially when it comes to energy and presence on stage. That’s where he truly shines. I love his personality in those moments; he’s not afraid to trash-talk the enemy and hype up the team. It boosts everyone’s confidence and brings a great atmosphere to the match. He’s the brother, no doubt."
Header Photo Credit: Michal Konkol/Riot Games
