Esports Insider recently sat down with one of Europe’s most prominent League of Legends teams. We spoke with three members of Fnatic: Marek ‘Humanoid’ Brázda, Mihael ‘Mikyx’ Mehle, and Iván ‘Razork’ Martín Díaz, to hear about their thoughts on the state of esports in 2025.

Each player offered unique insight into what it’s like to compete in League of Legends on the pro level, so here are a few things Fnatic wants you to know.

The LEC Spring Split is heating up in 2025, so we asked the Fnatic players what they’re excited about in the latest tournament. Humanoid told us why he prefers only having the six top teams go to the playoffs, as opposed to larger formats.

Marek ‘Humanoid’ Brázda told Esports Insider:

“I think the format has improved. We got rid of the best of 1s; we got the best of 3s. Looks fun, and only the top 6 teams are going to the playoffs. I think top 8 is way too many teams. I think the top 6 is better. So far, I like it.” 

Fnatic also expressed interest in facing other teams that have partnerships with Red Bull, as they’d like to prove who’s the best at League out of their impressive lineup of teams, including T1.

Fabian ‘GrabbZ’ Lohmann joined the Fnatic family as a coach in November 2024 and quickly became a valued team member. Humanoid explained that GrabbZ brings structure to the team in a way that only a coach can. He said:

“I feel like GrabbZ has brought a lot of discipline, and he’s not super strict or anything, but I feel like the coach that we had last year, we were very close to each other, so it felt like just another player. I feel like the relationship has to be a bit different with your coach.”

Humanoid also shared that he thinks Fnatic has been steadily improving since GrabbZ was brought on board, which may give them the edge they need to get even further in the LEC Spring this year. 

“I think so far we have been improving slowly with GrabbZ. GrabbZ is doing a great job.”

One of the most important questions we had the chance to ask Fnatic was regarding the changes they’d like to see in the esports scene and League of Legends as a whole. Iván ‘Razork’ Martín Díaz touched on his preferred format for LoL, sharing that he largely prefers best of 3 for League.

Razork told Esports Insider: 

“Make more best of 3s, but that’s already happened, so I hope that’s going to stay. Best of 3 or best of 5.” 

Mihael ‘Mikyx’ Mehle jumped in to share how he thinks League of Legends could improve, including the possible return of old items, such as Prowler’s Claw. 

Mikyx explained:

“Gameplay-wise, I’d like some old items back. The old items are very fun, like Prowler’s Claw, for example. For the esports scene, I think Relegation would be fun again.” 

There are many ways that Riot Games is improving the League of Legends experience at any given time. Fnatic thinks bringing back some of the older content would actually strengthen the competitive title and the esports scene in general.

Red Bull has partnered with many top esports teams over the years, and Fnatic is the latest to join their roster. Esports Insider asked the athletes how the partnership has helped advance their careers, and Mikyx shared that Red Bull has helped transition him into an active lifestyle with regular exercise. He said:

“I’ve had Red Bull as a sponsor for a few years now. We went to the Red Bull Performance Center, so that was something that Red Bull could offer for me that was pretty useful. We took some tests and did some exercises to make sure we were healthy. That’s actually one of the reasons I started going to the gym.” 

Though Fnatic’s League athletes aren’t competing in physical sports professionally, it takes a well-balanced diet with just enough exercise to stay healthy. Exercise can improve cognitive health, arguably just as essential in competitive gaming as in traditional sports.

Fnatic offered professional insight into why they believe esports could grow larger in the future. The talented League team conveyed that as video games improve, the fan base for esports games will likely grow bigger. Razork explained further:

“It’s still growing, and it’s not stopping, so I don’t see a reason why it would. Video games are going to get even better, so everybody is going to be playing games.”

Mikyx also expressed his interest in playing fighting games at the competitive level in the future. He even noted Mortal Kombat as the type of game he’d like to try his hand at in the larger esports scene.

“I would like to, at some point, play a Fighting game competitively. I think that sounds very fun, like Mortal Kombat, for example. Practicing for 1v1 matchups is very fun. If you’re good, you win. I like the aspect of that,” said Mikyx.

Every member of Fnatic has goals they’d like to reach in the future. As they continue to delve deeper into the LEC Spring, Fnatic will find new strategies to help the athletes advance in their esports careers. 

Fnatic will face other top teams in the coming weeks, and Razork, Mikyx, and Humanoid are determined to bring their A-game.

Riot Games has officially opened the pre-registration for VALORANT Mobile at Tencent Spark 2025, four years after announcing its development.

The publisher has partnered with Lightspeed Studios to bring the title to life, a game developer known for working on titles like PUBG Mobile. VALORANT Mobile will be launching it in China first.

Said Anna Donlon, Head of VALORANT Studios: “From that first demo they showed, they [Lightspeed Studios] were able to capture the essence of VALORANT like nobody else.

“And when they talked about the game, it was so clear that they understood Val deeply, they were aligned with our values, and they’d be able to deliver the core experiences that make Valorant special.”

Riot has already run playtests for VALORANT Mobile in China and collaborated with prominent mobile players across the world to prepare for this launch. Check out the official trailer for the game below:

Players in China can go here to pre-register themselves for the next playtest coming later this year; however, the other regions have to wait for now.

“China has one of the largest and most competitive mobile FPS communities in the world. Since Lightspeed is already a trusted developer in the region, we think it makes sense to start more locally, where their mobile expertise shines, before we finalize our plans to expand to other regions,” Donlon explained.

Players participating in the playtest will also be able to earn exclusive playercards by completing missions in the game. Each player can grab up to four playcards only and here’s a look at them.

While the exact release date for the next VALORANT Mobile playtest is unknown at the moment; Riot has confirmed that it’s arriving soon.

One of the most popular VALORANT streamers, Kyedae Shymko, has announced that she will be stepping away from streaming indefinitely.

She stated her ongoing health complications as one of the reasons for this decision. In addition, she wants to focus on competing in Game Changers.

Although Kyedae had previously shared her thoughts in one of the past streams, she made her final decision public on April 18th via her X (Twitter) handle. She revealed that the idea of stepping away from streaming had been on her mind for years.

“For those closest to me, this won’t come as a surprise. Truthfully, streaming was never my dream or end goal,” Kyedae announced. “That’s not to say it wasn’t a great opportunity (and yeah, it is an easy job in a lot of ways), but before I ever hit ‘go live,’ I was studying with plans to head to med school.

“I put that on the back burner to give streaming a real shot. Over time, though, I started to feel a growing sense of resentment toward it.”

Kyedae hasn’t been streaming as regularly as she used to over the past couple of months. She only livestreamed three times in March and then a single time in April so far.

“It’s what’s best for me right now—and honestly, I haven’t felt this happy and at peace in years,” she added. “Thank you all for the support up to this point. Stay happy, stay healthy, and take care of yourselves.”

Kyedae began her streaming career in 2020, playing VALORANT and sharing cooking content. In just four years, she gained over 3 Million followers on Twitch. She has been one of the most respected personalities in the VALORANT scene and has previously worked with the leading esports organization, 100 Thieves.

Kyedae is currently competing in the Game Changers 2025 North America Stage 1 under Teevee’s banner. After qualifying through the Open Qualifiers, the team is so far undefeated in the Swiss Stage and is now fighting for a spot in the Main Event.

PUBG developer KRAFTON has announced the return of the PUBG Nations Cup 2025 with an expanded lineup of 24 teams.

The fifth edition of the Nations Cup will be held in late July at the Olympic Handball Gymnasium in Seoul, South Korea.

Last year’s PUBG Nations Cup saw 16 national teams represent their country in Seoul’s KyungHee Grand Peace Hall. The South Korean squad emerged as the winner ahead of the United States, securing the lion’s share of the $548,932 (~£413,230) prize pool. The event’s prize money consisted of $300,000 (~£226,000) plus crowdfunding from 30% of all PNC 2024 Skin sales.

According to esports data platform Esports Charts, PNC 2024 recorded 510,997 peak viewers, making it the third-most-popular PUBG esports event at the time.

For 2025, South Korea will return to defend its title alongside 15 other rosters from the previous cup. In addition, Denmark and India will return to the competition after a hiatus, while France, Poland, Spain, Philippines, Sweden and Malaysia will make their PNC debut this year.

Here is the full list of PNC 2025 teams:

The specific rosters for each nation are yet to be announced. Typically, PNC contestants are chosen by their peers among the top PUBG athletes. However, the player selection process varies between the participating countries.

KRAFTON’s press release also teased a PNC extension beyond its original three-day schedule. Further details regarding the format changes are to be revealed in the near future. Moreover, fans can look forward to news about ticket sales and event details.

Like last year, the PNC 2025 will feature an on-site fanfest with unique activities for the PUBG community.

Wondering who to main in Overwatch 2 Season 15? With 42 possible heroes, Freja on the horizon, and all-new passive Perks, jumping into a game and picking the right character can feel overwhelming. 

Especially with the constant balance changes and evolving metas, it can be hard to keep up, with some heroes thriving while others have completely fallen off. If you’re feeling lost, don’t worry. 

That’s where our ultimate Overwatch 2 tier list comes in. We’ve broken everything down by role to help you lock in smarter picks and climb the ranks faster as we approach the end of the season.

Like many online multiplayer games, the Overwatch 2 meta shifts with every patch, buff, and nerf. These constant changes make it harder for many players to keep track of what’s working and how to get the most out of their hero pool. 

Therefore, a comprehensive Overwatch 2 hero tier list can make your choices easier, reflecting how well a hero performs in the current season’s ranked ladder and team compositions. 

This tier list for Overwatch 2 Season 15 breaks down the strongest characters to play by role – Tank, DPS, and Support – and can be applied to both Quick Play and Competitive. 

Looking for the best characters in Overwatch?

Keep in mind that any hero can win in the right hands, but some definitely make the climb easier. If you’ve got an off-meta main that’s working for you right now, don’t feel as though you have to pick from the S-tier. Play what works for you. 

Here’s a quick rundown of how these Overwatch tiers are organized: 

Our rankings are based on the most recent patch notes, pro play trends, and community performance data. They will be updated as the meta shifts and evolves, so check back often.

With over 40 heroes in the game, there are endless options for your next draft, especially when you factor in Perks. 

Explore this complete list of Overwatch characters, ranked from S-tier to D-tier based on their global performance in Season 15. 

The new Perks system in Season 15 has revitalized the DPS role, with unexpected heroes like Bastion and Torbjörn rising to the occasion.

For the first time in the game’s history, Torb is now one of the top heroes in the game, coming in with a solid 55.65% win rate across the board. Both his Major Perks buff his Turret, turning something once useless into a game-changer, now with the ability to stick to walls and become empowered. His “Fully Loaded” Perk also provides an instant reload, useful for gunning down Tanks. 

Mobility and self-sustain are the names of the game right now, as two of Bastion’s Perks, “Self-Repair” and “Armored Artillery,” keep the friendly robot going for longer, providing ways to self-heal and gain temporary overhealth. 

As always, Zarya is dominating the charts right now, oppressing every single rank with a 51.40% win rate. She has incredible solo-carry potential with her Major Perk, “Energy Lance,” which pierces enemies when she’s over 50% energy. Easily done when the enemy team constantly fires at her bubbles. 

Despite a low pick rate of around 1.30%, Sigma is arguably one of the strongest Tanks in Overwatch 2 right now. His Experimental Barrier lets him play both defensively and aggressively, and his Gravitic Flux remains one of the best teamfight ultimates in the game. 

His new “Levitation” Major Perk also addresses his weakness – mobility – letting him reach enemies on higher ground. 

Ana continues to dominate the Support charts in Season 15 with an impressive 8.55% pick rate across all ranks. Her Biotic Grenade alone can swing entire fights by denying healing and boosting her team’s sustain. With the Biotic Bounce Minor Perk, there’s even more subtle utility in her kit. 

Kiriko is still thriving in the Overwatch 2 competitive landscape with a solid 4.06% pick rate. Thanks to her new Perks, even dealing damage with her Kunai can provide a healing benefit to her allies. Players who can master min-maxing their damage and healing will easily climb the ranked ladder.  

Not sure which hero to play? Tier lists are always a great starting point, but the right pick depends on your playstyle, team comp, and the current match. 

Here are a few tips to help you make smarter picks in Overwatch 2:

Certain heroes thrive on specific maps. On maps with high-vantage points, hitscans and snipers like Widowmaker reign supreme, while Reaper thrives in tight spaces. Learn which heroes work best across Control, Escort, Push, or Hybrid maps and adapt your playstyle accordingly. 

Synergy wins games. Coordinate your team composition either in chat or voice. If your Tank opts for a dive comp with Winston or Wrecking Ball, pick DPS and Supports that can keep up, like Genji, Tracer, Lucio, or Kiriko.

Conversely, if your team’s running a slower frontline with Reinhardt, Orisa, or Sigma, go with ranged DPS like Hanzo or Ashe and Supports like Brigitte, Kiriko, or Ana. 

Don’t be afraid to swap out your hero if it’s not working. If the enemy Pharah is uncontested and steamrolling your team, switch to a hitscan like Cassidy or Ashe. Smarter counter moves can flip a losing fight on its head – sometimes even in last-minute Overtime.

It’s always fun to have a comfort pick, but especially in Competitive, flexibility wins games. Try to have at least 3–5 heroes per role you’re comfortable playing, so you can pivot based on your team and enemy matchups. 

At the end of the day, the meta will always change, but your mechanical skill, map knowledge, and ability to adapt will outlast any patch. Whether you’re grinding skill tiers in Competitive or playing casually, pick heroes that feel good to you, learn their Perks, strengths and weaknesses, and focus on improving one match at a time. That’s how you’ll climb – and actually enjoy the grind while you’re at it.

There are no hard rules on what heroes can or can’t be played in Overwatch 2, so take this Overwatch hero tier list with a pinch of salt; it’s only there as a guideline. If you want to OTP Mercy, do it. Some D-Tier heroes can still shine in certain team comps and maps; it all boils down to your individual skills, game sense, and experience. 

Have you ever wondered how VALORANT Esports works? Riot Games’ premier tactical shooter exploded into popularity as soon as it emerged on the scene five years ago, being more popular now in 2025 than ever before. There’s never been a better time to get invested in the high-stakes world of the best players, whether you want to watch intently or are considering playing at a higher level yourself. 

We’ll review the competitive structure of VALORANT’s Esports scene and thoroughly analyse the current state of the VALORANT Champions Tour and local and regional events. This includes a detailed analysis of how money, sponsorship, and broadcasting work, as well as the players who take part in it. 

For more, we recommend reading up on Esports Insider’s extensive VALORANT Esports coverage, which includes news stories and features on the competitive map pool, the teams making waves, slot allocation for tournaments, and the big changes rolling out to the title as they happen. 

VALORANT Esports is a term for the VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT), a global organisation operated by Riot Games with a franchise-based league that all teams participate in at the regional and international level, eventually going to the world championships. 

Riot Games selects the franchise teams it wants to play in the VCT based on how well the VALORANT Esports teams are performing. Teams must regularly compete to be eligible for selection, with most teams playing at least once a week (and often more). The winning teams from the regular season advance to the playoffs, where they can secure a spot in the international league. 

The Masters VALORANT International tournaments are where the teams compete to win Championship Points to advance further up the league table. Those with the highest points at the end of the season will play in the Champions (the global VCT finale), where only the best VALORANT teams compete for the title of World Champion. 

The VALORANT Champions Tour works across four regions: America (NA and South America), EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa), the Pacific (Japan, Korea, and India), and China. 

There are 42 teams across three leagues, which is 14 teams in a league. It’s believed that there are nearly 5,000 players in the VALORANT Esports scene. 

Leo Faria is the current director of the VALORANT Champions Tour, which was founded alongside the game’s launch in 2020. However, its first event was not held until a year later, in 2021. 

Following the first event, the VCT Game Changers was launched exclusively for women and marginalised groups not traditionally part of the usual esports scene. 

In previous years, the VALORANT Esports leagues had a seven-region format. However, that’s since been simplified and streamlined to three different regions, each with its own league. This format replaced the old Challengers system, where teams competed at the domestic level to qualify for Masters and then (eventually) Champions. 

The current VALORANT Champions Tour 2025 started in March and will run until late April (or May), depending on the region. China, the Americas, the Pacific, EMEA, France Revolution, Spain Rising, LATAM North ACE, NORTH/EAST, Türkiye Birlik, DACH Evolution, MENA Resilience, Southeast Asia, WDG Korea, and Oceania are among the ongoing tournaments being held around the world. 

We can examine the Champions Tour 2025: China Stage 1 and its leaderboard to see how a regional VALORANT league works. 

It’s split into Group Alpha and Group Omega, with Chinese teams like Nova Esports, EDward Gaming, FunPlus Phoenix, Titan Esports Club, TYLOO, Bilibili Gaming, Xi Lai Gaming, Wolves Esports, Trace Sports, JD Mall JDG Esports, and All Gamers competing against each other. 

Whoever wins at the end of the first stage will advance to the second and eventually be on the board for the international events before having a shot at the Champions. 

Third-party VALORANT tournaments have cropped up in recent years to give more people the opportunity to play competitively and win cash without the needed financial backing and franchise support of the regulated teams. Some of the most well-known include Redbull Homeground, Soop VALORANT League, and Convergence 24. 

Grassroots VALORANT competitions are sometimes referred to as C-Tier Tournaments, which are the lowest-ranked events and are usually played online and with little to no high-level participation. 

Lesser-known events include Luxembourg’s POP Esports Masters, the UK’s Cyber Showdown, Germany’s Equal Esports Queens, as well as North American events such as College VALORANT, which is usually played by 16 teams across many different states. 

The Valuable prize money from these grassroots and third-party competitions is usually quite low stakes compared to the big leagues. For example, the Lockdown Arena (comprising 52 participants) has a prize pool of $1,640, and Resurrection 2025 (based in Europe) was played for a total of $1,000 and featured 55 participants. 

Progression forward depends on the starting point of origin and whether or not a team or player is sponsored at a higher level. The path from a casual player to the VALORANT Esports champion starts with the division placement based on the matchmaking rating of the top five players. 

There are six divisions: Open, Intermediate, Advanced, Elite, Contender, and Invite. By getting to this point, a team (or player) can progress forward to qualify for Challengers. 

VALORANT teams can then play in the Challengers leagues, which is the next rung on the ladder towards the VCT. The Challengers leagues are split into three major regions, where it will then be a case of coming out on top against teams in territories such as America and Europe. 

By toppling the competition, the team will be eligible to be hand-picked by Riot Games to compete in the VALORANT Champions Tour. 

The VCT is the highest level of competition on the global stage in competitive VALORANT. Instead of playing regionally, this part of the process sees teams going against each other internationally, widening the skill ceiling (and upping the prize pool) significantly. 

16 teams will then compete for the full purse. It was held throughout August in both Seoul and Incheon, South Korea. Given that millions of dollars are on the line, it’s a coveted (and difficult) dream to achieve. 

Originally, the VCT was only made up of 30 franchised teams for the league format until early 2024, with 10 more teams added afterward. These new additions are now permanently a part of Tier 1. VALORANT franchising is where a spot is purchased on the roster through partnerships, which has allowed many teams to compete at the highest level. It’s the traditional approach for Esports teams. 

In contrast, the Open VALORANT Circuit invites teams to “grind the road to pro” and has a much wider pool of teams competing for a shot at the title. 

Franchising and open circuit teams do not typically mix, as the former is backed by corporate sponsorship, deals, and advertising money compared to the scrappier nature of playing on the open circuit, which is, inherently, free-for-all. Teams include Gen.G, Sentinels, OpTicc Gaming, LOUD, Evil Geniuses, Paper Rex, Acend, Zeta Division, Team International, Ninjas in Pyjamas, and Team Vikings. 

VALORANT sponsorships are one of the most important factors in the high-end side of the tactical shooter at this level, paying towards all costs associated with the high-level events. 

Some of the biggest names in VALORANT have major backing from hardware manufacturers, software companies, and other names in the gaming scene. For example, Sentinels is sponsored by Razer, Starforge System, and Zowie, whereas Fnatic is backed by Inzone, JackLinks, and Chillblast. 

The most popular sponsors are Razer (which sponsors 18 teams), Red Bull (which sponsors eight), and Oakley (which backs three). 

It’s not just gaming equipment and tech companies that are involved, as food and beverages, fashion, automobiles, and financial service providers are also involved in VALORANT Esports. 

There are no betting or gambling sponsors for competitive VALORANT, which makes it quite different from the likes of CS2 and other Esports games that are funded that way. Riot Games has strict quality control over its sponsorship policies, rejecting gambling and crypto outright. 

This has meant keeping things more advertiser-friendly, hence the larger pool of cash up from grabs at the end. Outside of sponsorship money, a major revenue stream is in-game cosmetics and streaming rights (through YouTube and Twitch). 

The VALORANT Champions Tour has raked in the better part of $40,000,000 since it was introduced in 2020 (via Esports Charts). Throughout 2025 alone to date, there’s been nearly $1,000,000 in the prize pool, comprising a $500,000 winning pot at the VALORANT Masters Bangkok and $120,000 winnings at the APAC Predator League. 

Looking back to previous years, 2024 saw nearly $9,000,000 in total winnings, with the VALORANT Champions event accounting for $2,250,000, the Masters Shanghai’s prize pot of $1,000,000, and the Masters Matrid pool of $500,000. 

The most profitable year for VALORANT Esports to date was 2023, at nearly $9,500,000. Since 2020, there’s been a 250% increase in winnings from the first year’s total pool of $2,691,955, with 2025 on track to match (or possibly exceed) this amount. 

VALORANT Esports events are viewed by an average of over one million people per event, which has steadily grown year-on-year as the prize pools have increased. 

While 2020’s events had a total peak viewer count of 692,277, the number more than doubled in the following years, with 2025 already having 1,319,067 viewers and on track to be the highest-viewed year for the game yet. 

Links to view VALORANT Esports matches can be found on its official website, with dedicated social media pages on Twitch, YouTube, and TikTok by spoken language; English, Portuguese, and Spanish are available via official channels. 

For co-streaming, Riot Games has published guidelines for anyone wanting to stream the event themselves with considerations towards the Competition, Player Safety, Politics, and Competitive Integrity. Riot Games allows for the use of a Public Event Feed and license to distribute to the casting community. 

There are more VALORANT Esports teams in 2025 than ever, with viewership increasing alongside revenue and prize pool money. More sponsorships and players will only mean a bigger and better string of events for everyone. 

Last year, Riot Games switched to prioritising regional events (bringing China into the fold), and the game is likely to explode more in this burgeoning market. 

Riot Games has published the full list of competitive policies and rules for VALORANT Esports, which covers competitive integrity and how it enforces its regulations. 

They have been regularly updated since 2022, 2023, 2024, and now 2025 with the Official Competition Ruleset outlined in a 45-page document going over the officially sanctioned equipment and peripherals, venue, competition area layout, schedule, match processes, post-match processes, pauses, bugs, exploit adjudication, travel expenses, change logs, and more. 

The biggest development for the future of VALORANT Esports is a mobile version of the game, which is expected to come out soon. Some market estimates have claimed that VALORANT Mobile could be coming out in 2025 (starting in China), but we could see a launch date in 2026 (or beyond) to be rolled out to more players. 

As a result, breaking into the cellphone market could see the game further explode in popularity and player count as its competitive scene may expand to Android and iOS instead of only PC, potentially allowing an install base of billions to get involved. 

VALORANT Esports is one of the more exciting competitive games for either a player or a viewer and has grown successfully year-on-year in terms of reach, financial backing, and user count. 

Nearly 5,000 players (and hundreds of teams) are looking to get involved through sponsorships or on the open circuit. Whether you’re an aspiring casual player looking to go pro or just an esports fan hoping to understand things better, our guide will be of help. 

Fnatic is one of the top VALORANT teams in Europe. They have a few of the most talented esports athletes in the world, so we sat down with two key team members to better understand their view of the game’s future, VCT EMEA goals, and partnership with Red Bull.

Fnatic’s Timofey ‘Chronicle’ Khromov and Kajetan ‘Kaajak’ Haremski are impressive VALORANT players with unique insight into competitive gaming. 

Below, we’ve laid out a few insights from our interview with Fnatic, so read on to gain a better understanding of the life of a top esports athlete.

VALORANT is a highly competitive video game, even outside of the esports sector. However, balancing the esports side with casual play will help retain the overall player base, and Fnatic explained why Riot Games needs to find a balance between supporting casuals and pros. They said:

“Even though the game was made with a focus on the competitive side, it might be a wrong decision; they also need to focus on casual players. I see a lot of casual players coming to VALORANT, sadly, they don’t find that much fun with this game. There will be a point when esports will not grow anymore.”

The fun factor is a key ingredient in any successful multiplayer title. If a game can’t keep players interested, fans will be even less likely to tune into esports tournaments.

Game developers are partially responsible for supporting both the casual and pro sides of multiplayer games, as the athletes of Fnatic conveyed to Esports Insider. They said:

“It’s also on Riot to make changes to the game to make it more fun to play. It’s very important to actually have fun in the game, other than just striving for competition.”

Fnatic also expressed that while the competitive side is an important part of VALORANT’s community, supporting casual gameplay will help build a stronger following in general.

“Competition is not what makes people more interested; it might be one of the factors, but it’s not only that,” they added.

Adding new game modes, events, and agents is key in keeping players active, which in turn may translate into viewership for VALORANT’s esports scene. 

Moves made by Riot Games could possibly have the biggest effect on competitive VALORANT. Otherwise, the industry won’t gain steady growth.

Fnatic believes that the upcoming VCT EMEA will offer new challenges due to the fierce competition they face. Despite hardship, Fnatic is ready to win. They said:

“We’re going to have some hard games maybe, so there’s going to be some challenges to prove ourselves that we are the best. The challenge is just to win.”

Chronicle and the other members of Fnatic’s VALORANT team will face talented opponents, like Team Heretics, in the VCT EMEA Stage 1. 

Fnatic plays to win, so Team Heretics will have some tough competition.

Fnatic partnered with Red Bull in 2025, so Esports Insider asked what the team members think about its new home. Kaajak and Chronicle expressed their appreciation for Red Bull as an energy drink that helps them stay focused in the heat of a match.

Kaajak told Esports Insider:

“It’s good because I love Red Bull, to be honest. Representing them is really good for me because Red Bull is my favorite energy drink. Also, we can drink it on the stage, so it’s just perfect.” 

In the end, Fnatic believes that Red Bull is destined to win; “It’s just all about winning, and I guess winning is Red Bull.”

Chronicle and Kaajak expressed that aspiring VALORANT athletes might find disappointment in the pro leagues due to their incredibly high bar of entry, but Fnatic also thinks that up-and-coming esports athletes should follow their dreams, as everybody’s experience is different. They said:

“Don’t be disappointed by what you actually see because it’s not as fun or as easy as people see it. But keep believing in yourself.”

Esports isn’t just about being a talented player; luck and outside factors can also determine the outcome of a competitive match, and in turn, an athlete’s career.

“It looks so easy, you just need to be good. But it’s not only about being good. When you come to this point, it can become disappointing or way too hard.”

Though Fnatic presses on in its journey to be the best, it can be difficult for new athletes to transition into the major leagues, as Chronicle and Kaajak pointed out during our interview.

Both Kaajak and Chronicle expressed their strong intent to win the VCT EMEA in 2025. 

Though the future is uncertain, Fnatic plans to give it their all and keep honing their skills. The Fnatic athletes explained that the esports scene will only grow if Riot Games continues to successfully support both the casual and competitive audiences of VALORANT.

The future is bright for Fnatic, as they host a few of the best esports players in Europe. The competition will get even fiercer in the VCT EMEA this spring, so Chronicle and Kaajak will strive to reach new heights in their esports careers.

Evo Japan 2025 will kick off next month at Tokyo’s Big Sight East Exhibition Halls with a total prize pool of ¥15m (~£79,400).

Here is everything you need to know about the first global fighting game event in this year’s Evolution Championship Series.

Evo Japan 2025 will take place from May 9th-11th, 2025. While the schedule for each game’s matches has not been announced yet, we can expect more details closer to the event’s kickoff.

A total of seven fighting game titles will be featured at Evo Japan 2025. Among the 8,648 unique attendees, Street Fighter 6 has drawn in the most player registrations with 6,536 contestants.

Here is the full list of games at Evo Japan this year:

All titles except for Street Fighter 3 and Virtua Fighter 5 will be 1v1 competitions. This will be the first Evo event in history to host 5-on-5 battle tournaments. Moreover, the final tournament will now welcome eight instead of six players.

The prize distribution for each game has also been revealed. Here is the distribution for 1v1 titles:

Meanwhile, the prize distribution for 5-on-5 tournaments varies slightly:

For English-speaking viewers, Evo Japan will be broadcast on Evo’s official Twitch and YouTube channels. Fans may also purchase venue tickets for specific days or all three days if they are attending in person. Further details can be found on the dedicated website.

The event will also feature various cosplay activities and exhibitor booths, including CAPCOM, SEGA and Red Bull Japan. In addition, side tournaments for titles such as VampireSavior and TEKKEN BALL will be held at Evo Japan.