G2 has confirmed the departure of Jacob ‘valyn’ Batio from their Valorant roster ahead of the 2027 Valorant season. The American IGL is expected to join Fnatic, leading their rebuilt roster in VCT EMEA.
valyn departs G2; rumored to join Fnatic in EMEA rebuild
valyn’s departure from G2 is not an unexpected one, after Sheep Esports linked the VCT Americas IGL in a move to LYON for the Valorant 2027 calendar, however the move was reportedly contingent on LYON securing Partner Status for 2027 and 2028.
After missing out on partnership, LYON have withdrawn wholesale from Valorant esports, leaving that pathway closed for the American, giving another org the opportunity to swoop up the four-time VCT Americas champion.
valyn is heavily expected to join Fnatic in the offseason, switching regions to VCT EMEA to join up with Kajetan ‘kaajak’ Haremski and Kirill ‘Cloud’ Nekhozhin as part of Fnatic’s rebuild.
Gentle Mates Duelist Martin ‘marteen’ Pátek is expected to also be part of the roster as it rebuilds away from its classic roster under Jake ‘Boaster’ Howlett.
Boaster has confirmed he is exploring options for 2027, shortly after the British IGL seemingly confirmed Austin ‘crashies’ Roberts’s departure from the organization as well.
So, there’s plenty of space in the Fnatic roster, but there is already an IGL on the roster, that being Cloud who took a break from the role during his 2026 Fnatic stint.
The Russian is largely expected to once again step aside from IGLing duties to make room for valyn’s leadership, but the roles have not been revealed by the organization.
valyn leaves the Americas region as a four-time VCT Americas split winner, securing the 2024 Stage 2 awards for IGL of the Year and Controller of the Year, and the Stage 2 awards from Controller of the Year and Grand Finals MVP for 2025.
The departure means G2 losses another piece of the original The Guard roster that earned Ascension in 2023 before being signed by G2, going on to be the dominant force in North American Valorant.
Sadly that dominance has not yet led to international success, finishing top four in five VCT international tournaments without lifting the trophy, most recently at Valorant Champions 2026.
Do you think valyn and Cloud will work together in a roster? Share your thoughts with us on the Insider Gaming Discord.
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Darragh is an Esports Journalist for Insider Gaming specialising in Counter-Strike. He loves to explore how esports teams work, or why they very often do not.
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