“Performing well was one of my goals”: Fnatic Kaajak on VALORANT Masters debut

Fnatic’s young duelist, Kajetan ‘kaajak’ Haremski, was one of the most impactful players at VALORANT Masters Toronto. Still, he believes that the best performance of his career is yet to come.

“I’m doing pretty good so far. I’m not having the best performance, but I’m having a consistent performance, which is great because people around me can also carry stuff and do other stuff, so I don’t have to do it all alone,” he told Esports Insider prior to the VALORANT Master Toronto Grand Finals.

The Turkish prodigy came into the event with a personal goal of performing well and staying consistent. Now that the event has concluded, it’s safe to say that he has lived up to expectations.

“It was a really important goal for me as I was struggling before with consistency,” Kaajak added. “I’m not carrying the maps, but I’m doing my job, and we are winning. That’s what I need to do, and it’s enough.”

Kaajak was a part of the 2024 EMEA Ascension winners Apeks before he joined Fnatic, which was a major shift for him that came with high expectations and pressure. However, he has grown significantly as a player, and his maturity as a duelist was visible at VALORANT Masters Toronto.

Talking about his journey and what has shaped him into the player he is today, Kaajak said: “I think playing against good teams has helped me learn a lot.

“I’m still getting experience on stage, because it’s my first time at the international stage, and it’s different to play on stage than from home when it comes to sound effects, sound quality and everything. It’s just different and you have fans behind you who are screaming, and sometimes you don’t hear key pieces of utility.

“So I think it’s just experience. I am more focused on my aim, but when it comes to the gameplay, like proactive stuff, I’m still working on it. I think it can be better like reacting on the map. So I think these games will teach me a lot when I analyse them.”

At the Masters Toronto pre-event press conference, Jake ‘Boaster’ Howlett shared that he didn’t expect to win much this season, so winning VCT EMEA Stage 1 was a gift. But after Fnatic’s impressive run at Masters Toronto, expectations have grown for Kaajak and the rest of the team.

“After the EMEA Kickoff, our expectations were kind of unknown, I would say,” Kaajak said. “But after the coach change, working hard, getting some results even in scrims and coming into Stage 1 more prepared than we were for Kickoff, I think… yeah, now people probably have high expectations from us.

“But for me personally, I don’t have any big expectations. Whether I win or lose, I don’t really care. I just try to do my best and hopefully win. Because when you start thinking too much about winning, you also start stressing about losing. And then you begin making small, stupid mistakes. So, I just go with their expectations.”

While Fnatic couldn’t lift VALORANT Masters Toronto trophy, the team certainly exceeded the expectations it set for the event. The organisation is set to return to the big stage at Esports World Cup 2025, scheduled to take place in July.