mini steps down as Fnatic’s Valorant head coach

Fnatic have confirmed that Jacob ‘mini’ Harris has stepped down from his role as head coach of the Valorant team due to personal reasons.

In a statement posted to X/Twitter, Fnatic explained that mini decided to step down from the role as he wishes to “explore options for a better work-life balance.”

“While we are in active discussions with Mini to potentially look at a new role within the coaching team, we must also look outward in the pursuit of finding top talent to step into the role of Head Coach,” Fnatic added.

mini’s contract expired at the end of the 2023 season. According to him, he told Fnatic “around six months ago that there was a good chance” he would not sign a new deal.

The British coach added that he is open to offers and that the roles he is mostly interested in are assistant coach and general manager.

The decision comes as a huge surprise after Fnatic enjoyed a successful year. The team made history by winning back-to-back VCT global tournaments as they lifted the trophies at VCT LOCK//IN and VCT Masters Tokyo. However, the season ended in disappointment when the team finished Valorant Champions 2023 in fourth place.

mini has been with Fnatic since it entered Valorant, in February 2021, joining the organization alongside the rest of the SUMN FC team. He and in-game leader Jake ‘Boaster’ Howlett are the only remaining members of the original Fnatic lineup.

Fnatic is slated to compete in Red Bull Home Ground #4, one of the biggest tournaments of the Valorant off-season. The event will take place in Tokyo between November 3 and 5, with Cloud9, DRX, 100 Thieves, and ZETA DIVISION the other confirmed partner teams.

Keep track of all the changes in the Valorant scene with our off-season rostermania tracker.