Fnatic fans can finally breathe a sigh of relief — Emir “Alfajer” Ali Beder is back. The Turkish star has been cleared to compete again after a short break due to health issues, and will return to the roster just in time for Fnatic’s VCT Champions Paris 2025 clash against NRG this Friday.

The final boss returns 👑

Thrilled to announce @Alfajervl’s all cleared and healthy, and will be rejoining us vs @NRGgg this Friday!

We’ll also be keeping @domaVALORANT in Paris for finals weekend for the extra buff. pic.twitter.com/OR5b91R3Zw

— FNATIC (@FNATIC) October 1, 2025

The organisation announced the news on X, calling Alfajer “the final boss” as they prepare for what could be their biggest weekend of the year. To be safe, Fnatic confirmed that Domagoj “Doma” Fancev will also remain with the team in Paris throughout finals weekend.

Doma, who last played for Fnatic in 2021, stepped in on just 16 hours’ notice earlier in the tournament when Alfajer was forced to sit out against Paper Rex due to health concerns. Despite the last-minute call-up, he helped the squad secure a crucial upset win. You can read more about that dramatic substitution in our earlier coverage: Fnatic’s Alfajer Misses VCT 2025 Clash with Paper Rex, Doma Steps In.

“Four hours of sleep straight from the airport to venue and we won. GG,” Doma joked after the victory.

Fnatic’s Paris momentum

Fnatic have looked unstoppable so far in Paris. The squad topped their group in the opening stage before moving through to the Playoffs, where they defeated DRX 2-1 in the Upper Bracket Quarter-finals.

The real shock came in the Upper Bracket Semi-Finals when Fnatic handed Paper Rex a surprise defeat. After losing the first map, Bind, it looked like the favourites had things under control. But Fnatic fought back on Haven and Lotus to complete a dramatic comeback, knocking one of the strongest teams in the tournament down to the Lower Bracket.

With Alfajer back in the lineup, Fnatic will now face NRG in the Upper Bracket Final on October 3. A win would make them the first team to lock in a place at the Grand Final and put them one step closer to claiming the lion’s share of the $1 million prize pool.

A wild VCT Champions so far

The 2025 edition of VCT Champions has been full of twists and upsets. Team Liquid were shockingly eliminated during groups, while G2 Esports managed to fight their way through to the Playoffs.

In the early knockout rounds, Paper Rex dispatched G2, NRG beat GIANTX, and MIBR sent Team Heretics packing. The Lower Bracket has been brutal too, with G2, GIANTX, MIBR, and Heretics all eliminated. That leaves DRX and Paper Rex battling it out in the Lower Bracket Semi-Finals for one last shot at making the Finals.

Fnatic, however, are firmly in control of their own destiny. With Alfajer cleared and their momentum at full speed, the London-based organisation could be about to pull off one of the most dominant Championship runs in VALORANT history.

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Day two of the VALORANT Champions 2025 Paris playoffs delivered fireworks as MIBR and NRG swept through their opponents in convincing fashion. Both Americas sides silenced their doubters with statement 2-0 victories, sending Team Heretics and GIANTX tumbling down to the lower bracket.

MIBR settles the score with Team Heretics

MIBR’s matchup against Team Heretics had been building all year, with plenty of words traded but no actual clash until now. On the Champions stage, the Brazilians showed no hesitation, powering to a 2-0 win.

The series kicked off on Corrode, a map MIBR had already dominated in groups. Exploiting gaps in Heretics’ defence, they quickly jumped out to a 5-1 lead. Heretics clawed their way back, even forcing overtime thanks to MiniBoo’s heroics, but MIBR stayed composed. Strong utility from artzin on KAY/O and crucial clutch plays carried them through to a 14-12 overtime win.

On Sunset, MIBR looked even sharper. aspas’ Operator was unstoppable, racking up 10 kills on defence, including three separate collateral shots. Heretics were constantly forced into man-down situations, ending the half 9-3 behind. Any hope of a comeback was short-lived as MIBR closed it out 13-6, with aspas and cortezia leading the way on the scoreboard.

Reflecting on the team’s rise, IGL Andrew “Verno” Maust said: “We just learned how to play each map in our style. We’re all comfortable with how we play together, so it just makes the game really simple.”

NRG crushes GIANTX in record-breaking fashion

If MIBR’s win was impressive, NRG’s performance against GIANTX was downright ruthless. The North American squad dismantled GX with a historic margin, dropping just seven rounds across both maps.

On Haven, GIANTX’s map pick, NRG stunned everyone with a 13-1 thrashing. Led by mada’s Neon and brawk’s Sova, they planted the spike in every single attacking round of the half, leaving GX with no answers. brawk ended the map with an astonishing 18/1 scoreline, his only death coming in the bonus round.

Lotus didn’t go much better for GX. While they managed to take the pistol and tie things up early, NRG’s map control and disciplined team play shut them down. brawk’s Odin locked off crucial angles, while mada and s0m piled on the kills. NRG rolled to a 13-6 win, sealing the 2-0 sweep.

The dominant showing also set a new record for the largest margin of victory in a Champions playoffs best-of-three, underlining just how dangerous NRG look heading into the next stage.

What’s next

The results set up a blockbuster upper bracket semifinal between MIBR and NRG, a clash that promises fireworks given both squads’ current form.

Meanwhile, Heretics and GIANTX now face do-or-die matches in the lower bracket. Heretics will take on GIANTX in an all-EMEA showdown, while DRX square off against G2 Esports. At least one European team will be eliminated from the tournament after tomorrow.

VALORANT Champions Paris continues with more high-stakes action, and fans can catch the matches live on the VCT’s official Twitch and YouTube channels.

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