Since the release of Valorant, it's been impossible for large esports organizations to avoid getting into the Riot's new title. On the North American side, many organizations have responded quickly, including T1, Cloud 9, Sentinels, and TSM.
In Europe, the scene is a little more passive. Fnatic has confirmed their interest in the game, but Colin "Cojo" Johnson, the Senior Team Director, has announced that a roster is not expected until next year.
A very real project
Cojo has confirmed that Fnatic is very interested in Valorant. Like G2 Esports , the organization hopes to be able to create a big team. He would like to create a team from the top down, by first recruiting the coaching staff to benefit from their expertise, and then recruiting the players.
However, Fnatic has yet to find the right players, that want to settle on a long-lasting project. Cojo spoke personally with 60 to 70 players according to his statements, but he didn't have really have his heart on any of them. The economic context (covid-19) makes him and investors more cautious than usual.
Fnatic has, however, been in contact with the " FABRKEN " team, an unorganized roster made up of Swedish players who notably participated in the Vitality European Open and the Mandatory.gg Cup. But after exploring all the possibilities, Fnatic did not wish to go any further. Since then, Fabriken didn't manage to find a sponsor and the original roster has exploded.
Wait until 2021
Colin "Cojo" Johnson explained that the team is not expected to see the light of day until 2021.
In a very detailed interview, he explained that the economic repercussions of the pandemic were not taken lightly by its structure. Fnatic is careful with its expenses and doesn't wish to take risks in the short term.
If the NA are less cautious according to Cojo, it's because the region is naturally more expensive. The European market is very different and if we compare the players salaries, they are much higher even in normal times.
Original content by Tipsalewo.