FNC crashies: “I had interest in NA and EU, I just think re-signing was the best decision for my career”
Lee Jones
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When crashies joined Fnatic for the 2025 season, it appeared to be a stopgap as the organisation awaited Leo’s hopeful return from illness. But with the American eventually playing all the way through the year, including in their historic Champs run, fans urged Fnatic to keep the former NRG player on. Their wishes were eventually granted, as crashies re-signed with the Black and Orange for another year. Ahead of his team’s appearance at Red Bull Home Ground, Hotspawn was able to speak to crashies about his stay on Fnatic, looking ahead to 2026.
Hotspawn: During the off season, the consensus was that you’d be returning to NA for personal reasons, having only expected your stay in EMEA to be temporary. But eventually you did end up sticking with Fnatic.
What were your plans during this off season?
Crashies: Going into the off season, I just kind of took a lot of time to reflect and really decide what I want in my career and what I want to do. Obviously, with our loss at Champs, it was a little bit of an emotional time for me, so I really tried to not bring too many emotions into it and just purely base my decision on what I think is best for me and my career going forward.
Obviously I had interest in NA and Europe as well, so I just really, really, thought deeply [about] what I really wanted. And Fnatic was able to give me a good renewal contract while also keeping me in the loop with roster decisions and what they decide to do going into next year. I just think it was the best decision for my career.
And only time will tell, right? But talking about it now, I’m not going to regret my decision or anything because I think the year that we spent together was very lovely, and it flew by. And I think when you find a team as special as we were and as close as we were, I think it would be kind of a shame just to throw that away just for one year.
Crashies: He’s a very lovely guy. It’s always nice to get to know different players and stuff, especially for me being an NA player; I don’t really know many European players, especially on an individual level. So getting to meet new people and different cultures, it’s always special.
But getting to hang out with him and meeting him for the first time, which was our London clash which we just did with Fnatic, it was just very special, and I think he has a very good head on his shoulders. I’m very excited just to get started with him and play the season and everything.
Image credit: Riot Games
Hotspawn: With Chronicle leaving as one of the all-time Valorant greats, it’d be normal for people to expect less from Fnatic in 2026.
What are you hoping for next year?
Crashies: Honestly, I love when people underestimate us and don’t give us expectations and stuff. It makes our jobs and lives so much easier because we just play. I said this to Veqaj and the team; he’s in a very similar situation that I was in joining Fnatic at the time where people were saying I can’t replace Leo, and it’s impossible to make finals and win stuff. And Fnatic just proved they have a very good structure.
And Boaster, this is kind of the GOAT IGL and can do it with many different players. So I think going to this year, like, obviously we’re just going to focus on ourselves and focus on what we know we can do to succeed.
And I think it definitely helps that, [as] I said, Veqaj is in a very similar situation as I was — and kaajak, for example, when Derke was also going to Vitality. I think we can just kind of guide him and give him some tips and knowledge on how to deal with expectations and pressure and stuff.
Hotspawn: Speaking of Boaster, he gave everyone a bit of a surprise with his Raze performance against GIANTX the other day. That said, he’s a player who often faces criticism for his in-game performance, hampered by his focus on his role as an IGL.
Was that Raze game a way of shutting up some of those doubters?
Crashies: Honestly, it was pretty funny, because when he said he was gonna lock in Raze, I’m like, ‘Oh God, here we go’. I didn’t seem to know how it would go, but once I saw him playing and satcheling — I think the hardest thing with Raze is just getting the movement down, and he was moving on that agent and I was pretty impressed.
And not only was he moving, he was shooting. And honestly, I think the 300 ACS got to his head a little bit. He’s moving a little different these days. He’s overconfident. So I think it was a good thing to happen. I think he enjoyed it a lot, and I think a lot of people enjoyed it as well. So I think it was just overall just a very enjoyable moment.
Hotspawn: Anything else interesting for New York?
Crashies: I don’t know. We’ll have to see, we’ll have to see. Probably not on the Raze, but maybe some other things. Maybe a Veto game or something in there for him.
Hotspawn: When we spoke in Paris, you talked about being in close contact with s0m, your former NRG teammates. He recently announced his break from pro play, expecting to return at some point in the future.
What was your reaction to that?
Crashies: I talked to him a little bit at the after party, and he wasn’t 100%. He was very unsure. And I think as soon as you’re unsure on if you want to keep playing or not, I think it was the right move for him to step down. Especially because you have four other teammates, and coaches, and there’s so many people involved that it wouldn’t really be fair to everyone involved to not give 100%.
And he won the biggest trophy that there is to win, so he kind of beat the game in a sense, and he already has such a big stream and a big brand and personality outside of that. So I think for him it was probably the right move.
Although I’ve talked to him a lot of times and told him, like, ‘you can’t compete forever’ and ‘you shouldn’t really take your skill for granted’ and, like, ‘streaming will always be there’ and stuff like that. So it definitely like was a little sad to see him retire in that sense.
But I think there is a world where he’ll probably come back depending on what happens. But I don’t know, I wouldn’t be surprised that he’s just chilling now with even a bigger stream now and just watch partying and enjoying those vibes.
Hotspawn: Is that your plan, to keep competing as long as you can?
Crashies: My plan is for sure just keep playing as long as I can. I think I’m a very self-aware human, where I kind of know when my time will be up. But I think I still have a lot to give, and I still have a lot of passion and hunger to win.
Image credit: Riot Games
And I want to win with this team because I feel like we all have such a very special connection where I want to lift a trophy with them and feel the emotions and everything. Even though we won a regional trophy, I just want to win another international because the last time I actually won an international, there wasn’t a crowd in the venue. So I don’t know what winning with a full crowd would be like.
So I think just, to answer your question on a short basis, yeah, I just want to keep playing for as long as I can, and then after that I’ll probably just turn into full content like streaming. Watch partying with FNS, s0m, all those guys because we have so much history and stuff together.
By day, Lee is a self-taught esports journalist who has written for a number of publications covering some of esports’ biggest events. By night, Lee is a world record holder as the fastest player ever to be fired on Football Manager.
