The deal is expected to be finalized after reaching a verbal agreement, although Derke has also received an offer from NRG. However, the player expressed a desire to join Team Vitality , which was the main factor in completing the transfer.
On his account on X (formerly Twitter), Derke posted an image of a bee, symbolizing Team Vitality , which could be a hint at his move. Fnatic manager CoJo also shared an image of an open cage, indicating that the transfer fee has been paid and the player has been released from his contract.
Currently, 21-year-old Derke began his career in the competitive CS scene in 2018. From 2019 to 2020, he played for KOVA Esports, where he won several titles in national tournaments in Finland. In October 2020, he decided to switch to Valorant, and in February 2021, he signed with CrowCrowd . In April 2021, he moved to Fnatic .
At his first world tournament, VCT 2021 Masters Reykjavík, Derke placed second and later participated in VALORANT Champions 2021. His achievements continued, as he placed fourth at VCT 2022 Masters in Copenhagen and sixth at VALORANT Champions 2022. In 2023, he secured victories at VCT 2023 LOCK//IN and VCT 2023 Masters Tokyo, becoming the first player in Valorant history to win two international tournaments back-to-back.
This season, Derke started with a fourth-place finish at VCT EMEA KICK-OFF and continued his success by winning two titles in a row at VCT EMEA 2024 Stage 1 and Stage 2. The team underwent changes: Leo left the roster, and hiro joined. Nevertheless, Derke and his team will represent Europe at VCT 2024 Masters Shanghai and VALORANT Champions 2024, where the team finished sixth in August.
If Derke transfer goes through, Team Vitality roster will be as follows: Less , who has been recently reported, will also join the team, and Sayf , the current duelist, is likely to remain on the roster.
