Crashies extends his stay with Fnatic for the 2026 VCT Season

Fnatic has re-signed American Initiator Austin "crashies" Roberts for the 2026 VCT season. This marks crashies’ second year competing in EMEA after transferring from the Americas in 2024. Extending crashies’ contract for another year makes him Fnatic’s second confirmed player this offseason, in-game leader Jake "Boaster" Howlett is already locked in for another year.

Success in EMEA

After a short stint with T1 in 2020, crashies spent four years competing in VCT Americas. While he played for teams like Envy and NRG, regional trophies were rare. However, during his time with OpTic Gaming, he earned the title of VCT 2022 - Stage 1 - Masters Reykjavík champion.

Following his release from NRG in 2024, crashies looked for new opportunities and eventually made the move to EMEA. Throughout his VALORANT career, crashies has consistently played the Initiator role and Fnatic welcomed him with open arms after Emirhan "hiro" Kat’s departure. Despite a slow start to the 2025 season, crashies went on to become an EMEA champion, helping Fnatic secure the VALORANT Champions Tour 2025 - EMEA Stage 1 trophy.

Alongside his teammates, crashies helped make Fnatic the strongest EMEA team on the international stage. Although the team struggled to close out three Grand Finals, Fnatic remained a dominant powerhouse and consistently made deeper runs than any other EMEA squad. Heading into 2026, Fnatic’s plan is to close out those Grand Finals with the help of crashies.

Three confirmed roster moves

It’s hard to miss the chemistry between crashies and his leader Boaster. The two have built a strong bond both in and out of the server. Boaster was the first player to be re-signed, and now the duo will continue their journey together in 2026.

However, Timofey "Chronicle" Khromov will not be joining crashies on the roster, as he has signed with Team Vitality, reuniting with his former teammate Nikita "Derke" Sirmitev. Whether Kajetan "kaajak" Haremski and Emir "Alfajer" Ali Beder remain on the squad is still uncertain, and the offseason will determine who steps in to fill Chronicle’s shoes.

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Featured Image Source: Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games.