Fnatic’s
VALORANT team director, Colin “
CoJo” Johnson, announced this Wednesday, August 13, shortly after the team
secured qualification for Champions Paris,
that Leo “Leo” Jannesson will not be making the trip to France. The Swedish Initiator, who has been on the bench for over a year due to serious health issues, is therefore not expected to play any matches this season, meaning Fnatic will close out 2025 with Austin “
crashies” Roberts in the starting lineup.
Absent since mid-June 2024, Leo is not expected to return to competition at any point in the 2025 season. "There will be an update around Leo and his future at some point in the coming few months," CoJo wrote on X. According to the Global Contract Database, his deal with the British organization runs until the end of 2025, meaning news regarding his situation could surface during the upcoming offseason.
According to team captain Jake “
Boaster” Howlett, Leo has been suffering from long COVID-19 — a rare but recognized condition — which has completely prevented him from competing. As Boaster explained during
a livestream in August 2024, Leo struggles to stay in front of a computer for extended periods before experiencing extreme fatigue and dizziness. This condition has made it impossible for him to maintain the training schedule required for professional
VALORANT, keeping him sidelined from official play for over a year now.
Despite the absence of their exceptionally talented Swede, Fnatic punched their ticket to Champions Paris on Wednesday evening with a 2-0 victory over Apeks, which also secured their spot in the playoffs of
VCT EMEA Stage 2. They become the first team from the region to lock in their place at the most prestigious tournament of the year.
