Boaster & Alfajer Contact Extension!
Boaster and Alfajer extend with Fnatic
After an unforgettable 2023 with our VALORANT squad and with all the varied changes in the scene around us, we’re excited to remain committed and head into another year of play with the same talented, charismatic and beloved roster as before. Before we kick off this season - we’ve got even more exciting news to share. We’ve extended both Jake ‘Boaster’ Howlett contract until 2025 and Emir ‘Alfajer’ Beder’s contract until 2026 - and we’re thrilled to continue writing our story together.
Boaster has served as our longest standing member of the VALORANT Squad (alongside Assistant Coach Mini from the SUMN FC days), leading the team as its IGL with his unmatched game sense and intelligence, as well as his incomparable charisma and charm. Jake’s been a huge part of the growth of the squad over the last few years, helping us to achieve last year’s historic results, and we can’t wait to see where his unmatched leadership and skills take the squad next.
Alfajer and the term MVP seem to go hand in hand - his 2023 performance was unrivalled and he’s unarguably secured himself as one of the world’s greatest (and youngest) sentinel players, with an absurdly high skill ceiling and remarkable chemistry with his teammates. After joining in 2022 with a bang, he’s continued to grow and develop into the superstar he is today, and we’re excited and confident that his career is only just beginning. Following the extensions of both Alfajer and Boaster, Head Coach Chris "Elmapuddy'' Tebbit said the following regarding their extensions:
“Having Boaster and Alfajer extending at the same time is huge for this team. With Boaster we secure the direction of the team from a leadership perspective for another 2 years while we continue to work with our now experienced, still relatively young roster. Alfajer is the prime example of this, he is mechanically second to none but he still has a lot he can and will learn from players like Boaster. So having them both staying on secures the continued development of the team and the long term future for FNATIC with young talent.”
The extension of both Boaster and Alfajer is an important start to our 2024 season, with expectations and the level of competition higher than ever. Team Director Colin ‘CoJo’ Johnson, pieced together and managed the squad from the very beginning added this regarding their extensions:
“Alfajer was considered by many to be the player of the year last year in VCT, competing against his friend and teammate Leo, so it stood to reason that one of my two top priorities this off-season was going to be extending him long-term. You never want to enter a season with a player you believe in long-term on an expiring contract, so we made sure that Alfa understood that we believe in him for the long haul. It is one thing to find, develop, and support superstars - it is another to ensure they are invested in your organisation and trust you with their futures. I believe that this long-term extension proves that there is that mutual trust and we look forward to achieving a lot of amazing things together over the coming 3 seasons.
Boaster has been the heart and soul of our team since we signed him in early 2021 and he has grown into a great captain, entertaining presence and world-class IGL. He has been a large part of the growth and elevation of our squad over the last 3 years and continuing to work together was a no-brainer. He has really made a home for himself in FNATIC and we are happy to continue entrusting the armband to him.”
We’re beyond excited to bring you these updates and can’t wait to see what this team does next. Even more good news? It’s not long till we can show you what we’ve been working on - VCT EMEA Kick Off arrives at the end of the month with our first match on the 23rd of February against Vitality! Be sure to check the app for all behind the scenes and pre and post-match interviews with the team.