Team Vitality has officially made changes to its VALORANT roster by signing Bartosz ‘UNFAKE’ Bernacki and Blendi ‘kovaQ’ Kovaci to their starting lineup. The move comes as the organisation looks to bounce back in time for VCT EMEA Stage 2, following a series of recent setbacks in international qualifiers.
The changes were prompted by the decision of the team’s previous in game leader Saif ‘Sayf’ Jibraeel to step down from competitive play. With the leadership gap open, Vitality turned to UNFAKE, citing his composure, experience, and leadership qualities as key reasons for bringing him on board. The organisation shared that their priority was to reinforce the team’s structure with a strong and steady IGL who could guide the squad both strategically and mentally.
Originally, the roster shuffle was intended to replace only Sayf. However, during tryouts, kovaQ demonstrated an impressive level of performance and adaptability that convinced Vitality to expand their plans. As a result, the team decided to bring him into the main lineup as well, replacing Clément ‘CyvOph’ Millard, who has now been moved to an inactive role.
Vitality acknowledged that benching CyvOph was a difficult decision, especially given the young player’s potential. However, the organisation emphasized that the reshuffle aligns with their long term vision of qualifying for VCT Champions and returning to top tier contention.
At the start of 2025, Team Vitality was one of the most promising teams in the EMEA region. With star players like Nikita ‘Derke’ Sirmitev and Felipe ‘Less’ Basso, they clinched the VCT EMEA Kickoff title and finished in fourth place at Masters Bangkok. Yet recent performances have fallen short of expectations. The team did not qualify for the ongoing Masters Toronto and also missed out in the Esports World Cup EMEA Qualifier.
Both new players bring valuable experience from Europe’s competitive circuit. UNFAKE began his VALORANT career in 2021 and recently helped Joblife win Stage 1 of VALORANT Challengers France. CyvOph, who now exits the active roster, was also a part of Joblife’s squad but joined Vitality earlier this year. Meanwhile, kovaQ had been competing for ALTERNATE aTTaX in the DACH division, where he helped the team secure a fifth place finish in the 2024 season.
Vitality plans to field UNFAKE and kovaQ in the upcoming VCT EMEA Stage 2 matches, pending final approvals from Riot Games and visa clearances. With the updated roster in place, the team is determined to make a strong comeback on the regional and global stage.
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