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Reports suggest that the Norwegian team Apeks has managed to bring together the former Fnatic trio, consisting of James “Mistic” Orfila, Enzo “Enzo” Mestari, and Martin “Magnum” Peňkov, to its Valorant roster ahead of the 2023 season.
The report was made public by reporter Alejandro Gomis earlier today, suggesting that the trio have secured a verbal agreement with the franchise.
“Sources: Former FNATIC players Enzo, Magnum and Mistic have reached a verbal agreement to play for Apeks VALORANT,” Gomis wrote.
“The roster is set to compete in the upcoming 2023 Challengers Polaris League and will try to promote to VCT in 2024.”
A number of skilled players who failed to secure a place on a partnered team for the 2023 season are participating in the VALORANT Champions Tour Challengers circuit. These players have previously played for top teams such as Fnatic and have achieved victories at various local and international events. The Norwegian franchise aims to dominate the Polaris League for EMEA VALORANT by signing several of the best free agents as the core of its team.
Mistic and Magnum were teammates on Fnatic from April 2021 to April 2022 and contributed greatly to the team’s success, including their second-place finish at Masters: Reykjavík and top-eight placement at Champions. During the 2022 season, Magnum was replaced by Enzo, who brought more experience to the team.
Enzo joined forces with Mistic for the remainder of 2022, where the duo achieved notable finishes of fourth place at Masters: Copenhagen and fifth at VALORANT Champions. After the season ended, they were released from Fnatic and given the freedom to seek out other opportunities. The three former Fnatic players are now reportedly reuniting to dominate the Challengers league and aim for a spot in the EMEA VCT Tour in 2024.
The reported reunion of the former Fnatic trio has generated a lot of excitement among Apeks fans, as the team is expected to be one of the top contenders in the upcoming 2023 low-tier season. The trio are expected to make their debut in the VCT Challengers Polaris League, which begins on January 8th, and will be their first tournament together as a unit.
While it’s always difficult to predict how a team will perform, the reunion of the former Fnatic trio has the potential to shake up the competitive Valorant scene, giving Apeks a boost. In the past, the trio has shown that they have what it takes to compete at the highest level, with strong performances in numerous high-profile tournaments.
It will be interesting to see how the Apeks team fares against their competition in the VCT Challengers Polaris League. The Valorant esports scene is constantly evolving, and it will be exciting to see if the former Fnatic trio can recapture the magic that made them one of the top teams in Europe.
Apeks is yet to confirm or announce the signing of the former Fnatic players. If this is any truth to go by, a formal announcement should be expected in the coming days. The identities of the final two players on the Apeks team have not been revealed, but it is evident that the franchise is determined to do whatever it takes to emerge victorious in tournaments.
