CS:GO – Fnatic Parts Ways with Jackinho

Fnatic announced the release of AWPer Jack “Jackinho” Ström Mattsson this week, with the Swedish CS:GO pro no longer being contracted with the leading eSports organization as a result. The youngster was with Fnatic for under 12 months, with there having been much speculation surrounding his future over recent weeks.

Now aged 22, Jackinho joined Fnatic in January last year, having made his name competing for the likes of Nordic Knights, Property, nerdRage, Visomet and Prime Esport. However, after being benched two months ago in order to accommodate Owen “smooya” Butterfield, the up and coming Swede was forced to sit out, meaning that he could not have the kind of impact he would have hoped for upon joining Fnatic.

Why Jackinho Was Let Go by Fnatic

Jackinho’s time at Fnatic coinsided with the org largely struggling to live up to expectations. The team failed to make it through to the PGL Stockholm Major, which was the final straw for those in charge, as Jackinho was removed from their active roster shortly after. Having averaged a rating of 1.0 throughout 2021, based on statistics from HLTV, it is clear to see why Fnatic let Jackinho go, with such a figure being disappointing for any AWPer.

Speaking on the announcement, Jackinho thanked Fnatic for his time with the org, before stating: “I’m very excited to find my next project and use this experience to show the best version of myself.”

Since Jackinho was replaced by smooya, Fnatic has already won two events in November, coming at the DreamHack Open November and the REPUBLEAGUE Season Two. As a result of such showings, Fnatic also moved from 32nd to 19th in the HLTV world rankings, which could be decisive in terms of the org qualifying for bigger tournaments in the near future.

When Will We See Fnatic in Action Next?

Fnatic is still transitioning from its all-Swedish roster to a more international lineup, with the team having reaped the rewards so far. The team will next be in action at the IEM Winter, which will be Fnatic’s first tier-one event since the arrival of smooya. Worth $250,000 in prize money, Fnatic will be keen to put in a good showing, with the event running from December 2 to 12.

An encounter with Gambit in the opening round will demonstrate just how far Fnatic have come since their recent roster changes. Their current roster is made up by Freddy “KRIMZ” Johansson, Ludvig “Brollan” Brolin, Alex “ALEX” McMeekin, William “mezii” Merriman and smooya.