The year 2026 became a turning point for the esports organization Fnatic: both of the club's leading rosters in League of Legends and VALORANT missed their chances to qualify for the main tournaments of the year — World Championship and VALORANT Champions, respectively.
The League of Legends roster will miss Worlds for the first time in nine years. During LEC 2026 Summer, the team finished seventh in the regular season with a 3-6 record, which prevented them from making the top six needed to advance to the playoffs. Despite a victory against long-time rivals G2 Esports, a defeat in the do-or-die match against GIANTX proved fatal for Fnatic. The snapped streak of nine consecutive World Championship appearances was unique within the European region.
The VALORANT squad suffered an equally severe blow, missing a Champions event for the first time in the history of the discipline. Following their runner-up finish in 2025, Fnatic had a disappointing performance in VCT EMEA 2026 Stage 2, finishing fifth in their group. Forced into the Play-In stage, the team ultimately lost all chances of qualifying after defeats to Challenger-tier teams Enterprise Esports and Joblife.
Consequently, both of Fnatic's rosters have concluded their international performances in 2026 and will only be able to contend for spots at Worlds and Champions next season.
As a reminder, Changes ahead of Worlds 2026: Dylan Falco leaves G2 Esports after five years of dominance.