Leo steps down from VALORANT competitive play after a year of health issues

Fnatic has officially announced that Leo "Leo" Jannesson is leaving the organization and stepping down from competitive VALORANT. Leo has been inactive since June 2024 due to ongoing health issues that extended into 2025. While many fans hoped for a comeback, Leo has decided to retire from professional play entirely.

Leo’s History

Leo began his VALORANT journey with Guild Esports, playing on an all-Swedish roster alongside the well-known Saif "Sayf" Jibraeel. Showing great promise early on, he signed with Fnatic during the 2022 offseason—proving to be a strong addition heading into the 2023 season. That same year, Timofey "Chronicle" Khromov and Emir "Alfajer" Ali Beder completed the roster, marking a near-complete rebuild for Fnatic.

2023 Domination

2023 turned out to be one of the most dominant years in Fnatic’s history. Kicking things off at VCT 2023 - LOCK//IN, Fnatic steamrolled the competition, not dropping a single map on their way to the Grand Final. There, they faced the superteam LOUD in what became one of the most intense international VALORANT matches to date. Leo helped lead the team to their first international title, ending the event with the highest rating on the squad.

Fnatic didn’t stop there. They made history by becoming the first team to win back-to-back international titles, taking home the trophy at VCT 2023 - Masters Tokyo right after LOCK//IN. Once again, Leo proved to be a rock for the team, finishing as one of the top 10 performers of the tournament.

Although Fnatic finished 4th place in VCT 2023 - Champions, they had their sights set on 2024 with confidence and momentum.

Health Issues in 2024

2024 didn't unfold as Fnatic had hoped. While they continued to perform well in regional tournaments, they missed out on VALORANT Champions Tour 2025 - Masters Bangkok 2025. After a year and a half with Fnatic, it was announced in June 2024 that Leo would take time off due to health issues.

Emirhan "hiro" Kat stepped in during VCT 2024 - EMEA Stage 2 to fill Leo’s role. In July, Leo posted on X, sharing that he was still not in the physical condition needed to compete and gave props to Hiro for doing an excellent job with the team. Since then, Leo has remained on the bench, and Fnatic has brought in Austin "crashies" Roberts as their new main Initiator.

Strong Community Reactions

The announcement of Leo stepping down from competitive play has sparked strong reactions from across the VCT community. His former coach, mini, stated: “Leo set the standard for how great VALORANT should be played—and most still don't come close.”

Jake "Boaster" Howlett shared that he was proud to have been Leo’s IGL and teammate, while Chronicle praised Leo as an “insane player and a very good friend.”

Looking Ahead

While the past year hasn’t gone the way the team—or Leo—had hoped, Fnatic is incredibly proud to have had Leo as part of their legacy and continues to support him from the sidelines. Fnatic now turns their attention to VALORANT Champions Tour 2025 - Valorant Champions.

To stay updated on the latest roster changes across the regions, stay tuned to THESPIKE.GG.

Featured image credit: Lance Skundrich/Riot Games.