Fnatic were forced into a late lineup change ahead of their VCT EMEA clash against GIANTX, with Veqaj ruled out due to health issues. Assistant coach Desmo was named as the stand-in.
The team confirmed the swap on match day, giving fans little time to process the change before tip-off. No further medical details were shared, and the absence is being treated as a same-day issue rather than a wider roster move.
Desmo is a familiar name to those who follow the coaching side of VALORANT. He worked with Leviatán in the Americas league last year before joining Fnatic’s staff, which is why some viewers did a double take when his name popped up on the starting lineup.
Turning to a coach rather than a bench player is unusual in top-tier VALORANT. Teams prep map pools, compositions, and role setups days in advance, and a last-minute substitute usually means simpler calls, tighter utility usage, and more weight on star players and the IGL to carry the structure.
Fnatic remain one of EMEA’s flagship rosters, with VCT LOCK//IN São Paulo and Masters Tokyo trophies still on the shelf from 2023. Any shake-up to the starting five gets people talking, especially when GIANTX are on the other side of the server.
