Sylvain “
Veqaj” Pattyn is expected to return to competitive play in the near future. The French
Fnatic player stepped away from competition last April during
VCT EMEA Stage 1. At the time, his team cited health issues that were preventing him from performing at his best. He has now provided further details in a post on X, explaining the reasons behind his absence and announcing his return to competition.
The only French player competing in the VCT at the beginning of the year, Veqaj joined Fnatic after making his debut in the European top flight in 2025 with Gentle Mates. Despite a promising individual showing during Kickoff, the team narrowly missed out on qualification for Masters Santiago. He then played three matches in Stage 1 before being replaced by Clément “CyvOph” Millard for the remainder of the stage.
Regarding the reasons behind his absence, the player explained on X that he had been dealing with several health issues. “I had to face health issues I’d never experienced before - pain, fatigue, sleepless nights. At the same time, I was hit hard by personal struggles.” He said he had been working with doctors and specialists and had come to understand that his physical and mental health had to be his top priority. “Today, I’m doing better, and I’m back. But one thing is certain - I’m not done with VALORANT.”
Despite the announcement, fans will still have to wait a few more weeks before seeing him back on stage. In his absence, and despite the arrival of Kirill “
Cloud” Nekhozhin, Fnatic were prematurely eliminated from Stage 2 in the Play-Ins and will consequently miss the upcoming
VALORANT Champions for the first time in the organization’s history. According to the
VCT Global Contract Database, Veqaj’s contract is set to expire at the end of the year. His future therefore remains uncertain, although he has already demonstrated on several occasions that he possesses considerable firepower and the qualities required to compete at the highest level of the league.
