FNC Boaster on becoming a head coach one day: “I don’t think I want to be one”
This has been a rough year for Fnatic and Jake "Boaster" Howlett, as the most legendary EMEA team has struggled to find consistency with the meta, while a string of unfortunate moments has only made things worse. THESPIKE sat down with the captain to talk about the loss to Team Liquid, why the current meta is not helping them, Boaster’s future, and more.
I think Liquid just showed up.
THESPIKE: This was not the series we imagined, so could you give us your thoughts on what went wrong?
Boaster: "I think Liquid just showed up. They had a really solid game plan, and they were honestly just shooting differently. They were diffing us, player for player. We had some glimpses of hope, but they played with so much confidence and kind of disrespected us a little bit, and I think it worked."
THESPIKE: It was a strange feeling on Summit because it looked like they were going behind you a lot of times. They were catching you off guard most of the time. This is also the second time you played Summit competitively, after facing Karmine Corp last match day. Do you like Summit, or do you think there are still things you need to sort out to play it properly?
Boaster: "I like Summit. There are definitely things we still need to sort out, for sure, but I do like the map. It’s not too bad for us, but like I said, we just need to fix it a little bit and get to work."
THESPIKE: In the match against KC, you had a very long series that went all the way to the last rounds. They are a team that, at the moment, admitted they are playing without many strategies because of the meta, while Liquid feel completely different. Do you think the fact that you went from playing against a team made mainly of gunners, relying on individual skill, to a team like Liquid affected today’s performance?
Boaster: "No, not really. I just think that’s the hard thing about EMEA. It has so many different styles. NA doesn’t have too many, I think APAC also has quite a few styles, and China has a mainly aggressive style too. But Liquid just disrespected us. They played a style that took a lot of map control on attack sides. And then on Lotus they ended up just rushing, with individuals making big solo plays and stuff.
It was a crazy game. It went by so fast that I haven’t even had time to really reflect on it. But now it’s just one of those games. You have to move on. The season is not over, and we just have to know how to play against that style, I guess."
_1742751387062.png&w=64&q=75 "VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 - EMEA Stage 2")
Alfajer
kaajak
Cloud
crashies
Boaster
KicksFNATIC’s struggles with the meta and other problems
THESPIKE: The meta looks kind of stuck, with attack being extremely strong and defense, with Sentinels being a bit behind. Do you think this type of meta is affecting you as a team at the moment?
Boaster: "It’s very obvious how the difference in meta from last year to this year is affecting us. We’ve had some other unfortunate circumstances too, but ultimately the meta has been a tough one this year, with the double Duelist setup. It’s very micro based instead of macro. I still think there’s some macro in there, but the micro and individual mechanics are on another level.
People are peeking differently, fighting differently, and just double diving in. Double dive was kind of present at VALORANT Champions Tour 2025 - Valorant Champions, but you also had Initiators and Sentinels being relevant enough to stop it. It seems like double dive is still an issue in the current meta, and that’s a tough one. Phoenix has dominated this year, although we only saw him once today, and on Summit I don’t think he’s broken or anything, but on other maps he’s been quite dominant. This game went by so fast."
THESPIKE: Kirill "Cloud" Nehozhin came in as an emergency substitute for this stage. He was the IGL back in GIANTX, as far as we know, and now he has come to play under your leadership. How has he adapted to your way of doing things?
Boaster: "Yeah, I think Cloud said in an interview that he loves it, not having to IGL anymore and just listening to me. I think he adapts pretty well. Today was just a weird day, that’s all I can say. We’ll have to bounce back and try harder. I’m not entirely sure what happened. It was just an absolute aim diff. Once they start getting confidence, they can make even crazier and more ballsy plays together, and that’s something we have to get used to. But yeah, Cloud likes it."
Boaster’s future and cultural differences in EMEA
If I’m not playing the game, I don’t really want to do anything competitive in that style.
THESPIKE: I wanted to switch the topic a bit to something I was talking about yesterday with Clement "CyvOph" Millard. There is a discussion at the moment in League of Legends where a lot of ex pro players are becoming coaches and taking over that role. Would you like to become a head coach one day?
Boaster: "Obviously, I think the opportunity is there, but I don’t think I want to be one. If I’m not playing the game, I don’t really want to do anything competitive in that style. I’d probably try other things in life, maybe get into content creation and just try new stuff.
The option is there if I ever wanted to take it, I guess, but I’m really not sure what I want to do. Karrigan is 36, apEX is 32, and it seems like they’re on a different level. So it’s just about trying to get to that level and maintain the career I’m going for. It’s a tough one."
THESPIKE: Yesterday, I was chatting with Taranvir "bipo" Singh about the fact that in some European countries there isn’t really a sports culture at all. In Italy, we don’t have a big sports culture. In the UK, there isn’t a massive sports culture either, and people are moving to PS5 and stuff like that. Why do you think there is such a big difference compared to countries like Spain or France, where the crowd goes absolutely wild when esports come in?
Boaster: "I’m not entirely sure. Growing up, a lot of kids had consoles like Xbox, PlayStation, and the Wii. PC gaming was more of a rare breed. That might be part of it, I’m not entirely sure how the other cultures work.
I know Turkey has a lot of gaming cafes, because Alfajer said he went to one quite a lot. I don’t think that was really a thing where I was growing up, or at least not in my town. So maybe that’s part of it. I’m not sure. Maybe it’s because there weren’t many famous games, and football is the big thing in the UK, so that’s where most players go."
THESPIKE: Last question, completely unrelated to VALORANT. You played League a lot, as far as I know. And League Classic is now coming out. Did you get the chance to take a look?
Boaster: "The funny thing is I didn’t play League back in Classic, so I’ve never actually played Classic. I think I played it once or twice. I was actually playing other MOBA's at the time, which I thought were better. League obviously became the dominant one later on. But no, I haven’t had a chance to try it yet. Emir "Alfajer" Beder wanted me to play with him in the next two days during our day off, so I said maybe I can do that with him."
Fnatic need to find a way to return to form as the EMEA giants are still yet to reach an international tounament this year. They are currently tied with BBL Esports on eight Championship Points, and will return to VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 - EMEA Stage 2 in Berlin on July 29, when they will face Eternal Fire as they look to stay near the top of Group Omega.
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.
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