Team Vitality confirmed its coaching staff for the 2027 Valorant season on November 10, 2026, with Aleksey "slk" Lynksov and Philipp "Szed" Schickor part of the group.
Team Vitality's Valorant team
Shared experience on the coaching staff
Benjamin "Scuttt" Hutchinson and Szed worked together on FNATIC's coaching staff in 2025. Scuttt began that year as an analyst at BBL Esports before joining FNATIC alongside Szed ahead of EMEA Stage 1.
FNATIC had finished 5th-6th at Kickoff and missed Masters Bangkok. The team subsequently won the EMEA Stage 1 trophy and reached the grand finals of both Masters Toronto and Champions Paris.
Scuttt joined Vitality in November 2025 and worked alongside PAL during the 2026 season. Szed remained with FNATIC after the 2025 campaign. slk previously served as an assistant coach before moving into an analyst role.
A Shanghai final behind them, EMEA Kickoff ahead
Vitality missed Masters Santiago after its 2026 Kickoff campaign, then recovered with Sayonara in the lineup. The team finished runner-up in EMEA Stage 1 and took fourth place at Masters London.
An early exit from the EMEA Stage 2 playoffs followed. Vitality still qualified for Champions Shanghai through Championship points as EMEA's fourth seed. Its run ended in the grand final, where it lost 3-1 to LOUD.
Vitality's player group includes Elias "Jamppi" Olkkonen, Dawid "PROFEK" Święć, Timofey "Chronicle" Khromov, and Ștefan "Sayonara" Mîtcu. Andy "Bangovic" Zajimovic continues as the team's manager.
The organization was also named a VCT Partner during the offseason. Its first competitive test of the 2027 season is EMEA Kickoff.
