FNATIC CoJo reflects on disappointing season: “There are a lot of things we could have done better”

In a recent Space, a live conversation hosted on X, Colin "CoJo" Johnson reflected on the Fnatic’s season, the player market, health issues, and several other topics that have been on the table for some time. The VALORANT Team Director at Fnatic also revealed the organization’s intention to be as transparent as possible throughout the upcoming off-season.

Qualifying for Champions every year was a record we took a lot of pride in. It was really brutal to miss out on the first one. This was not how we thought our season would go, but it gives us a lot of hunger to make sure this does not happen again. We weren’t going to be this good forever.

A season unlike any other for FNATIC

During the conversation, CoJo began by acknowledging the disappointing 2026 season the team had, not only in terms of results and its struggles to adapt to the current meta, but also because of the unfortunate circumstances they faced, including various health issues.

Throughout the year, several people online accused Fnatic of not treating its players properly. However, CoJo pushed back against those claims, stating that there was no mold in the office, as some people had joked about online.

He explained that none of the health issues were related to each another and argued that they received more attention simply because they involved Fnatic. CoJo also accused some people of using the players’ illnesses to generate engagement and likes online.

Sayonara and Chronicle join Team Vitality

Another topic that has been on the table for quite some time now was the transfer of two players to Team Vitality: Ștefan "Sayonara" Mîtcu and Timofey "Chronicle" Khromov.

According to CoJo, the original plan was to have Sayonara ready to play from the 2025 off-season, despite knowing that he would only be eligible to compete once he turned 18 in March. However, CoJo admits that a miscommunication between him and Sayonara’s agent gave Vitality enough time to make an offer for the player, leading Sayonara to leave the organization.

As for Chronicle, CoJo believes that the search for other players may have affected the player’s decision to remain with the team.

We ended up deciding that we wanted someone who could shoot and be another carry-level player. When Veqaj came in and was healthy, he was destroying. In our statistics, he was top ten. I think it was a mix of some mistakes on the roster-building side and a lack of preparation time.

Struggling to find an identity in the current meta

One of the biggest issues with Fnatic's read on the current meta was the team’s inability to adapt to the double-duelist composition. While the team was sometimes able to find its way and develop an identity that worked for them, they ultimately struggled to bring out the best of their capabilities.

The addition of Kirill "Cloud" Nehozhin was also a controversial decision during the season, as he had previously played as an in-game leader and initiator for GIANTX, two roles that were already filled by established players on Fnatic.

However, CoJo believes Cloud was brought in to provide fresh solutions and help the team address its issues. At the same time, his flexibility allowed him to bring a wide range of qualities to the team.

Opening the door to young talent

One of the things that made the team reflect on its performance was being defeated by Tier 2 teams on two occasions. The fact that these young players, many of whom were competing on the VCT stage for the first time, were able to defeat a team with so much history and experience prompted Fnatic to reconsider how it approached the game.

One of the reasons behind Fnatic’s desire to keep Sayonara since he was 16 was that the organization recognized his talent from the very beginning. However, he was not allowed to compete until turning 18.

For CoJo, this is the main reason we do not see more young players in Tier 1, as many of the prospects who thrived in Stage 2 would otherwise have already made their way to the main stage.

Despite the team's current state, CoJo is excited about the beginning of the new circuit in 2027 that will bring more of this unknown, underground talent to compete with the big organizations and display their talents on the stage.

Sometimes you get bored of playing the same team over and over again. We’re not happy to play against Team Liquid for the 19th time, and history tells us that it is always more exciting to play against these new organizations and players and see how they approach the game. There are more styles, more takes on the meta, and that also helps us develop for international events.

What comes next?

Like other teams, Fnatic is now in discussions with its players and coaching staff to evaluate everyone’s options ahead of the next season. For example, Jake "Boaster" Howlett has already revealed that Fnatic has allowed him to explore other opportunities on the market, despite remaining in discussions with the organization.

However, this does not necessarily mean that any of them will leave. The players are simply open to exploring their options, and so far, no final decisions have been made.

Despite being a “strange off-season,” as CoJo described it, everything is running smoothly. However, it is still very early in the process, as VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 - Champions Shanghai has not even started yet, meaning those players will only enter the market later on.

The next few weeks will be about running trials and understanding which players organizations are interested in. The goal is to speak with the players, figure out their priorities, get to know people, and do the same when it comes to coaching talent. Fnatic will approach this off-season in the same way it has over the past couple of years.

For all things VCT-related, make sure to stay tuned to THESPIKE.GG as we continue to update you with the freshest game and esports news.

Featured Image by Adela Sznajder/Riot Games