French player Sylvain "
Veqaj" Pattyn will join
Fnatic next year and thus complete the team's roster for the
VALORANT Champions Tour EMEA 2026 season. While the team has just lost Timofey "
Chronicle" Khromov, who has decided to sign for
Team Vitality, Veqaj will be the one to replace him on the Black and Orange roster.
After a first split in VCT that was collectively complicated on the Gentle Mates side, Veqaj nevertheless finds a new landing spot with the multiple European champion. An outcome that rewards undeniable individual qualities he has shown throughout his season.
Fnatic’s roster completed
With this latest addition, Fnatic's roster for 2026 is now fully known. Despite the loss of a strong element from its roster with Chronicle at the club for three seasons, Fnatic still wanted to maintain continuity by keeping its players from last year. Jake "
Boaster" Howlett, the iconic IGL of the structure, has re-signed for an additional year, just like Austin "
Crashies" Roberts, as previously reported by
Sheep Esports.
Veqaj will therefore be the last missing piece in this roster. Fnatic was reportedly impressed by his performances during the trials and prioritized his profile for his formidable aiming skills. Qualities he showed in his debut with Gentle Mates as well as in Valorant Challengers France with Valiant before that. The player was also on trial with Karmine Corp and Natus Vincere, who are still in the process of completing their roster.
Propelled directly into the spotlight
Just 22 years old, Veqaj is coming off a very successful year on a personal level. While he started the year with Valiant in the French league, he quickly established himself as one of the best players in the league. In the role of duelist, he won Stage 2 with an impressive performance in the final against Karmine Corp Blue Stars (65/39/11 in three games).
Performances that caught the attention of Gentle Mates, who offered him a spot on their team. Despite a complicated collective split where M8 didn't win a single match, Veqaj continues to show that he has potential. He completely changes his standing with a move to Fnatic. Finalist of the Master Toronto, the Esports World Cup, and Champions, not to mention the victory in Stage 1, Fnatic is coming off a successful year. Veqaj will have the heavy responsibility of joining this team and doing even better than the previous year.
Header Photo Credit: Riot Games
