Fnatic had a really great run in the recent VCT EMEA Challengers, winning the group stage with a flawless 5 – 0 score and securing the third spot in the tournament, which earned them a slot in the first Masters in Reykjavík.
Where they actually ran into issues was after the tournament concluded. When the organisation had to finalize their lineup ahead of Masters, they realised their Sova player, Andrey “BraveAF” Gorchakov, wouldn’t be able to make it.
The situation was quickly resolved after Fnatic managed to find a suitable replacement in Enzo “Fearoth” Mestari, who will be joining the organisation on loan.
BraveAF Won’t Make it to Masters
The Russian player, Andrey “BraveAF” Gorchakov, joined Fnatic on January 21st. He quickly established himself as the pillar of the team and has been performing quite well for the past few months in the Valorant Champions Tour.
However, over the last few days, several screenshots surfaced where BraveAF is discussing the Russia-Ukraine crisis with another person. His comments were deemed controversial by the organisation and he was immediately suspended and placed under investigation.
He responded on Twitter, saying the following:
“Never wanted it to be understood like that and never meant it like that. Peace”
While this is the official reason BraveAF won’t be attending the VCT Masters in Reykjavík, Fnatic also mentioned they already knew there would be visa issues and BraveAF would probably have trouble finding a flight from Russia.
It’s sad BraveAF won’t be able to compete in Reykjavík, but his top priority right now is to deal with the Fnatic investigation. Hopefully the entire situation is resolved soon.
VCT Roster Update: As we set our eyes on Masters Reykjavík, we welcome @FearothVAL to the roster.
We want to express a huge thank you to @theAllianceGG for allowing this loan to happen.
Read more about the change:
— FNATIC (@FNATIC) March 31, 2022
Fear the Fearoth
Enzo “Fearoth” Mestari is joining Fnatic as a replacement for BraveAF. Fnatic couldn’t have made a better choice.
Fearoth has been the face of Alliance Valorant since the very beginning. He’s the team captain and the main playmaker. His proficiency with Sova made him the perfect pick for Fnatic.
Fnatic will certainly benefit from this loan deal, but Fearoth himself has a lot to gain here as well. Not only does he get to participate in a major Valorant esports tournament, but he finally has a unique opportunity to prove his skill against tougher opponents.
The last time Alliance appeared in a major Valorant event was during VCT 2021: Europe Stage 1 Masters. And even then, they finished at the bottom.
If things go well for Fnatic here, and Fearoth ends up being the Sova machine we expect him to be, he might get a permanent offer from Fnatic. In any case, it’s great to know Fnatic will appear in Masters and won’t find themselves in a situation similar to FunPlus Phoenix. We can’t wait to see what they’ll achieve in Reykjavík.
