Fnatic announced that it is replacing suspended player Andrey “BraveAF” Gorchakov with Enzo “Fea” Mestari for the upcoming Valorant Masters One event at Reykjavik, Iceland. The decision was made after Gorchakov was suspended for allegedly showing his support for Russia in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. Fnatic is still investigating the suspended player and is yet to come to a decision regarding the player’s future with the organization.

Mestari will compete in Gorchakov’s place until Fnatic’s investigation ends

The decision to replace Gorchakov was considered even before the player was suspended. The Russian player was facing visa issues due to international flight restrictions. Even if the suspended player was available, he would not be able to make it to Iceland from Russia.

After the player was suspended, Gorchakov said that the leaked conversation showing his support for Russia was between him and a girl from Ukraine. He claims that the chat took place before 24th February, which is when the Russian invasion began. He said that some of his words were taken out of context. It is unknown how Fnatic will respond if the player is found guilty following the investigation.

Some fans have been wondering why the official Fnatic substitute Tom “otom” Hart is not being played. Fnatic clarified in their official statement, “Whilst we’ve recently added Tom ‘otom’ Hart to the squad as a substitute, his agent pool, in this case, does not align with what we’re looking for.”

Fnatic’s team director and project lead Colin "CoJo" Johnson, “I think we have found a great replacement in Enzo, who has proven over the last 18 months in Valorant that he is one of the best Sova's in the region.” Mestari has been consistently playing at the top-level and led Alliance to some really impressive performances, especially in the last few months, as their in-game leader. He might prove to be a solid addition to an already strong lineup.

Mestari will make his debut for Fnatic later this month as 16 teams head to Valorant Masters One, which is the first major international LAN event for Valorant this year.