Sources: Fnatic have been selected as a VCT EMEA partner team for the 2027-2028 cycle

According to sources close to Sheep Esports, Fnatic will be one of the eight partner teams in the VCT EMEA league next season. While this decision may have seemed inevitable to some, given the organization's prestige and results over the past few years, its status is now fully confirmed.

A historic name in VALORANT and the most decorated organization in the EMEA region during the partnership era, Fnatic will remain at the highest level of competition in the region for at least the next two seasons. With a roster that is likely to look significantly different, the organization will aim to reclaim its status as Europe's leading team following a disappointing 2026 season in terms of results.

Few teams can make as strong a competitive case for retaining their partnership status as Fnatic. Having won three VCT EMEA titles between 2023 and 2025, Fnatic is the region's most decorated organization, with its achievements further bolstered by a Masters Tokyo title in 2023 and runner-up finishes at both Masters Toronto and Champions 2025. Although EMEA currently holds the distinction of having gone the longest without an international title, Fnatic, as the region's most recent international champion, has consistently been one of its strongest representatives at recent tournaments.

Several players who have represented the organization have also left their mark on the history of the game, including Jake "Boaster" Howlett and Emir "Alfajer" Beder, both of whom have been part of the roster since LOCK//IN São Paulo in 2023. The team also featured Timofey "Chronicle" Khromov for three years before his move to Team Vitality this year, following the departure of Nikita "Derke" Sirmitev a year earlier.

This season, however, proved considerably more challenging for Fnatic in terms of results, with the team facing numerous roster-related issues. As a result, the organization missed Champions for the first time in its history and failed to qualify for any international competition. On top of that, several players are set to leave during the offseason, including Alfajer, as previously reported by Sheep Esports.

Fnatic is therefore expected to look markedly different in 2027, with several new arrivals already anticipated. According to sources, the Czech duo of Martin "marteen" Pátek and Patrik "Minny" Hušek, currently playing for Gentle Mates, are set to join the organization in addition to the head coach Kyrylo "ANGE1" Karasov. Meanwhile, Team Director Colin Johnson announced on X that the team intends to retain Kajetan "kaajak" Haremski.

With this new core taking shape and its partnership status secured, Fnatic will be hoping to demonstrate that 2026 was merely a temporary setback and return to the top of the EMEA region in 2027.