Heading into 2025, FNATIC FNATIC Europe Rank #1 crashies Austin Roberts Boaster Jake Howlett kaajak Kajetan Haremski Chronicle Timofey Khromov Alfajer Emir Ali Beder was looking to retool after losing two star players to completely different circumstances. The core of the team that ran through VCT 2023 remained, but FNATIC put their faith in a rising star to help bring them back to the top.

With Leo still inactive and Derke moving to Team Vitality Team Vitality Europe Rank #11 Derke Nikita Sirmitev Kicks Kimmie Laasner CyvOph Clement Millard Sayf Saif Jibraeel Less Felipe de Loyola Basso , FNATIC decided to sign the Ascension-winning Duelist kaajak . He cooked opponents in the Ascension tournament on Apeks Apeks Europe Rank #28 MOLSI Michał Łącki AvovA Auni Chahade batujnax Mehmet Batu Özaslan to earn a tier one position through promotion, but decided instead to take the opportunity to help a top team return to their former glory.

The team didn't make it to Masters Bangkok, but FNATIC caught fire in Stage 1 and topped Team Heretics Team Heretics Europe Rank #3 MiniBoo Dominykas Lukaševičius Wo0t Mert Alkan RieNs Enes Ecirli benjyfishy Benjamin David Fish Boo Ričardas Lukaševičius to earn the number one seed at Masters Toronto. It took some time for him to get comfortable, but it was clear that kaajak hit his stride in the Stage 1 playoffs thanks to the cohesion he built with his new teammates.

“We just know each other more, and our energy is better both in and out of the games,” kaajak said. “The vibes have grown. Plus, the coaches are doing really good work and putting together really good ideas. Our preparation for Kickoff in comparison to Stage 1 is very different.”

FNATIC roster 2025 The FNATIC roster for VCT EMEA 2025. (Image via FNATIC)

After defeating Team Heretics 2-0 in the upper bracket to earn their spot in the grand finals, they faced a familiar opponent from the lower bracket. Team Heretics fought their way past Team Liquid to secure a rematch, but kaajak was quick to remind them why they were coming from lowers in the first place.

That grand finals performance from FNATIC, where they swept Heretics once again, was spearheaded by an absurd performance from kaajak. In best-of-five matches that go the distance, a star Duelist could drop stats that raise eyebrows, but the sole rookie on FNATIC finished a three-map sweep with 73 kills, a +40 kill differential, a 1.70 rating, 316 ACS, 199 ADR, and 14 first kills to only seven first deaths.

The first map of the series showed his growth from Kickoff to Stage 1. He played Yoru, an agent he admits he took time to learn, on Split. Kaajak showed no growing pains on that map, ending it with 28 kills and a 2.47 rating in a dominant 13-4 win.

“I think after my grand finals performance, I feel very confident in my ability in the game heading into Toronto,” kaajak said. “I don't want to be overconfident, so I wouldn't be surprised if I have some bad games [in Toronto] as well as good ones.”

kaajak on stage VCT EMEA 2025 FNATIC kaajak on stage for FNATIC at VCT EMEA 2025. (Image via FNATIC)

Overconfidence is a genuine worry for kaajak, since he knows what it's like to underperform when it matters most. When he was helping carry Apeks to the Ascension grand finals in 2024, his grand finals performance left a lot to be desired. If the series hadn't gone to the map five of Ascent, where he redeemed his previous four maps to win Ascension, he might've remained as an ‘onliner'; a young talent who can only win from the comfort of their home setup instead of the stage.

“That Ascension final, that helped me a lot, because I knew it was just a starting point for me,” kaajak said. “Thinking back, I was playing on hard mode. From that final, I learned more about controlling my energy on stage, to be consistent throughout the whole series, instead of using it all too early. Plus, the more time you play on stage, the more you get used to it.”

With his game against Heretics in the VCT EMEA 2025 Stage 1 grand finals, it's fair to say that kaajak is not an onliner. That performance resembled a player who steps up and performs better in a LAN environment. After working with performance coaches on both Apeks and FNATIC, he improved his mental state when under pressure, which mattered the most on stage.

Plus, it didn't hurt to have one of the most tenured in-game leaders in the world sitting beside him. Even after coaching changes and a disappointing year in 2024, FNATIC reached the top of EMEA for the umpteenth time thanks to the leadership of Boaster .

“I think [Boaster] is very smart in-game, but he's also one of the hardest-working people I know,” kaajak said. “He's always VOD reviewing, practicing, and testing new ideas frequently on the servers. When your IGL is doing that, that inspires confidence in the team.”

Boaster and kaajak celebrate FNATIC win Boaster and kaajak celebrate FNATIC winning in VCT 2025. (Image via FNATIC)

While kaajak was a star in the Stage 1 playoffs, Boaster's calls were immaculate, especially on Split. He might not have had the same statistical performance as kaajak did, but the first half was the definition of an IGL beating opponents strategically.

Now, heading into Masters Toronto, FNATIC are trying to return to 2023 form, but with two new cogs in the machine. Their replacement for Leo, crashies , also took time to gel with the roster, but looks like an amazing pickup now. For kaajak, he's trying to keep his expectations in check, but he can't help but feel like his team has a genuine chance to win another title.

“[In Toronto], I just want to perform well and do the best I can,” kaajak said. “Team-wise, the goal is winning a trophy, because I think it's doable with this team.”

The year has already started to move in the right direction for both kaajak and FNATIC after starting poorly in Kickoff. Now, after helping FNATIC earn the first seed, kaajak will be able to wait and see who his first opponent at an international VCT event will be.

Whether it's aspas on MIBR MIBR Brazil Rank #1 artzin Arthur Araujo xenom Eduardo Soeiro cortezia Gabriel Cortez Verno Andrew Maust aspas Erick Santos , who kaajak hopes to face off against, or one of the other teams making their international debuts, there is a genuine chance that a Polish star can once again help his EMEA team reach the top.