Highlights:
* Valorant duelist Derke has confirmed his restricted free agency from Fnatic ahead of VCT 2025.
* The pro player’s contract with Fnatic is set to end in 2025.
* He is seeking new opportunities across EMEA, NA, and APAC regions.
After the conclusion of Valorant Champions 2024, the focus has shifted towards VCT OFF//SEASON and roster shuffles ahead of the 2025 competitive circuit. Amidst all speculations around new lineups and reveals, a significant announcement has been made by a fan-favorite EMEA star, Nikita ‘Derke’ Sirmitev. In his recent X post, Valorant duelist Derke announced that he is a restricted free agent now, hinting at his potential departure from Fnatic. The star player has also confirmed that he is seeking opportunities across EMEA, North America, and Asia-Pacific. Announcing the major development, here’s what Derke posted via his official X account:
“Let the off season begin. — Restricted F/A — Open to EMEA/NA/APAC — Highly motivated & dedicated to win”
Jacob ‘mini’ Harris, assistant coach for Fnatic’s Valorant roster, replied to the star duelist’s X post, as he wrote,
“Couldn’t have done the past few years without you. — Will be rooting for you wherever you choose to go 🫡”
Following Nikita’s announcement, Fantic’s Valorant team director, Colin ‘CoJo’ Johnson, also released his official statement addressing the recent developments. Posting via X, CoJo said,
“We’ve had a lot of discussions and reviews internally since Champions has ended, looking at all possibilities, and we decided that it’s best to allow Derke to explore his opportunities while we explore what the future of FNC Valorant can look like. I’m confident in a positive outcome for both parties no matter what happens.”
It is worth noting that the star player is still under contract with Fnatic until 2025, as per the Valorant Champions Tour Global Contract Database.
Valorant Duelist Derke’s Journey With Fnatic Might Come To An End After Three Years
After Nikita ‘Derke’ Sirmitev confirmed his restricted free agency from Fnatic, many wished him luck, while many reminisced about his performances over the years. For the uninitiated, Nikita has been one of the best duelists out there, especially considering the VCT 2024 season. He first joined Fnatic in April 2021 and since has been quite crucial in the team’s victories.
In the VCT 2023 season, he was a part of the team that won LOCK//IN São Paulo and Masters Tokyo while finishing fourth at the Champions event that year. This year, Fnatic topped the tables during Valorant Champions Tour: EMEA Stage 1 and 2 but couldn’t recreate the magic at Masters Shanghai and Champions Seoul.
At Champions 2024, Fnatic made it into the Playoffs after knocking out KRÜ Esports in the Group Stage. During the Playoffs, the EMEA team lost two consecutive games against G2 Esports and Sentinels to get knocked out. After the Champs 2024, it will now be interesting to see the plans of Fnatic and Derke, with the latter being a restricted free agent.
