Why is Leo out of Fnatic’s VALORANT roster? Answered

A temporary break.

The Fnatic VALORANT team on-stage at VCT Masters Tokyo 2023.
Photo by Colin Young-Wolff via Riot Games

As we dive right into VCT EMEA 2024 Stage Two, die-hard fans are quickly noticing that Fnatic is not rocking the same VALORANT roster as seasons past.

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Leo “Leo” Jannesson is currently out of the lineup as they jump into the opening week. Instead, the team is running a temporary roster with Emirhan “hiro” Kat, a sub from SuperMassive Blaze that is filling in for the team during this time.

There are, however, plenty of Fnatic faithful who are questioning why Leo isn’t starting in the first place, especially after such a difficult first few months in 2024. Here is the official reason why Leo is currently out of Fnatic’s starting VALORANT roster.

Leo’s temporary leave from Fnatic VALORANT, explained

According to Fnatic, Leo has been temporarily removed from the team’s starting lineup due to health issues. It isn’t known what ailment the 20-year-old initiator is dealing with, but he has been dealing with such problems for some time now. It has also gotten to the point where the coaching staff has decided to bench him for recovery purposes.

Senior team director Colin Johnson said that Fnatic has been dealing with health issues throughout the year, forcing them to make some significant decisions for their longevity and for the immediate future—including Leo’s temporary benching.

It isn’t known how long Leo will be out of the starting lineup, but Hiro is confirmed to start their match against BBL in week one, along with a number of other matches moving forward.

Author
Image of Tyler Esguerra
Tyler Esguerra
Lead League of Legends writer for Dot Esports. Forever an LCS supporter, AD carry main, with more than five years in the industry. Sometimes I like clicking heads in Call of Duty or VALORANT. Creator of the Critical Strike Podcast.