After joining Fnatic midway through 2022, Emir "
Alfajer" Beder is not expected to remain with the organization for the 2027 season and the new version of the official
VALORANT circuit, with the Turkish player set to join Gentle Mates, according to sources close to
Sheep Esports. Alfajer was out of contract with the English organization at the end of this season and is therefore set to change colors.
He also reportedly held discussions with several other teams, including the possibility of staying with Fnatic. With the latter's departure, Fnatic should have the financial resources to pursue other competitive profiles during the offseason.
The year of Gentle Mates
For Gentle Mates, the 2026 season was marked by mixed results after a particularly eventful start. Entering the circuit late following Riot Games' decision to end its partnership with KOI, the French organization had to put together its roster in a hurry. That did not stop M8 from making an excellent start to the season. At Kickoff, M8 secured the second European seed and qualified for Masters Santiago, giving the organization its first-ever appearance at an international VALORANT LAN. In Chile, the French side made it out of the group stage before being eliminated in the playoffs. Their run ended with two consecutive defeats, first against Nongshim RedForce in the winner bracket and then against All Gamers in the lower bracket.
The rest of the season proved more inconsistent. Back in Berlin for
VCT EMEA, Gentle Mates were unable to replicate their Kickoff performance and finished in 5th-6th place. The period was also marked by a change within the coaching staff during the stage, adding further uncertainty around the project's continuity. M8 nevertheless secured a spot at the Esports World Cup. Despite making a player change ahead of the competition, the team once again reached the playoffs after making it out of the group stage, ultimately finishing its run in Paris in 5th-6th place.
VCT EMEA Stage 2 brought the season to a more difficult end, with Gentle Mates finishing in 13th-16th place. Heading into 2027, the roster's contractual situation is also worth monitoring: only Yusuf Emre "Proxh" Tunc, the team's controller, is currently under contract for the upcoming season. Several players have already indicated that they are open to other opportunities, including M8's in-game leader in 2026, Patryk "starxo" Kopczyński.
The year of Fnatic
Across his nearly five years with Fnatic, 2026 was clearly the most difficult season for the Turkish Duelist / Sentinel and his teammates. In 2025, the English organization reached two international finals, at Masters Toronto and Champions Paris, in addition to finishing Top 2 at the Esports World Cup. This year, however, was a very different story, with the departure of one of its long-standing players, Timofey "Chronicle" Khromov, coaching changes, and Sylvain "Veqaj" Pattyn's unfortunate health issues. After a Top 4 finish at Kickoff and two missed opportunities to qualify for Masters Santiago against Gentle Mates and Team Liquid, Fnatic appeared to lose its momentum.
At VCT EMEA Stage 1, the English organization had nevertheless found the right momentum, going 5-0 in the group stage and advancing directly to the second round of the playoffs.
Alfajer and his teammates then suffered two consecutive defeats, first against Team Vitality in the winner bracket and then against Team Heretics, bringing their run to an abrupt end despite their strong start to the stage. FNC then missed out on qualification for the Esports World Cup before entering a rare slump in Stage 2. In the group stage, the team managed just two wins and three losses, sending them to the first round of the Play-In.
Under the new VCT format, Fnatic therefore faced teams from the VCT ecosystem's Tier 2, opening with a loss to Enterprise Esports and dropping into the lower bracket. The English organization managed to survive against GIANTX before falling in the following match against Joblife, another Tier 2 team given a chance to compete against some of the region's best teams. During an X Space held in early September 2026, the organization's Team Director, Colin "CoJo" Johnson, discussed the contracts of Jake "Boaster" Howlett, Alfajer and Austin "crashies" Roberts. All three contracts expire next November, meaning the players should be able to explore their options.
