This past Friday saw Fnatic defeat Karmine Corp to conclude the first week of the VCT EMEA Stage 2. Timofey "Chronicle" Khromov shares his thoughts on their hard-fought victory and the setbacks suffered at recent international tournaments grand finals: Masters Toronto 2025 and Esports World Cup. The Stage 1 champion also shares his perspective on the team’s future in the Tier 1 VALORANT scene.

How did it feel to be back on stage for Stage 2 with a first win? Was this the outcome you expected from the match?

Timofey "Chronicle" Khromov: "We expected to win, of course, not that it would be particularly difficult, because I believe we played much better in our previous match. But then again, we had played on entirely different maps, so the comparison isn’t straightforward. In any case, a win is a win.

What was Fnatic’s plan on Bind, and how did you manage to counter Karmine Corp’s composition?

Chronicle: The plan was simply to catch them off guard with our composition. We hadn’t really practiced Bind extensively. We had just come straight from another tournament, whereas KC had been running that comp for quite a while, even back during Kickoff. We knew they’d probably stick with it. So our approach wasn’t necessarily to anti-strat them, but rather to make the map as comfortable as possible for ourselves while neutralizing their strategy.

Lotus is known as one of your strongest maps, but KC won it. What was your mindset going into it? And if you could change something, what would it be?

Chronicle: We entered the map with a positive mindset, fully confident in our performance, especially knowing we’d be facing KC. That said, what stands out to me now, specifically about this match, is how our mentality shifted mid-game. Our energy dropped for no clear reason, and some players started underperforming individually. I still can’t quite explain it. I suppose it’s something we need to analyze and address moving forward.

On the decider, Icebox, you opted for a double Sentinel setup with Sage and Killjoy. You started strong with a 5–0 lead but were brought back to 6–6. How did you adapt during KC’s comeback to secure the win?

Chronicle: We started out well, but then we began to lose rounds due to minor mistakes, small errors that had a significant impact. Mentally, we didn’t quite check out, but our momentum stalled. The 2v5 round we lost was especially frustrating for some. Personally, I just focused on doing my job, even when I was sitting at something like 4/14. I looked back at those deaths and realized I wasn’t necessarily playing badly, I just wasn’t getting the opportunities or was consistently unlucky. I knew that if I managed to find one or two impactful moments, it could shift everything. I stayed locked in, took on my role, and I think I delivered when it mattered. I won some important clutches and made key plays, even though I was playing Sage, one of the most limiting agents on Icebox. It’s honestly a very frustrating role. And of course, I’m not exactly a "battle Sage".

We also saw your incredible 1v5 defusing behind your wall. What happened?

Chronicle: That was my passive Sage mode at work, just smart decision-making. But when it comes to playing battle Sage, it’s a different story. My team generally needs me to play very passively because my utility is critical. On defense, I’m crucial during retakes, and on attack, during executions. So even if I feel I’m reading the game well, it doesn’t matter much — I’m limited by the agent’s role. I have to trust my teammates to do the heavy lifting while I support them however I can.

You played two tough finals against Paper Rex at the Masters, and Team Heretics at the EWC. How are you feeling heading into Split 2 of VCT EMEA, and how did you recover from those defeats?

Chronicle: We’ve tried to rest as much as possible between matches. Even after EWC, we managed to carve out at least one full day off to decompress. Jumping into scrims immediately after playing high-stakes matches might sound ambitious, but it’s not sustainable. We’re still not 100% qualified for Champions, even with this win, so there’s no room to slow down. But having experienced players on the team makes things easier, we have only one rookie. Many of us are used to the relentless schedule, especially after 2023, when we played in nearly every international tournament and often made deep runs. That experience helps a lot.

How has your preparation for Split 2 differed from earlier stages this year? Have you been experimenting more, or sticking with proven strategies after those two final losses?

Chronicle: We honestly didn’t have the time to make significant changes or experiment. We had to focus on the matches immediately ahead of us. You can’t just innovate for the sake of it. Bind was the exception. We had two proper practice days solely dedicated to it, so we could try something specific for that one match. But next time, we might not even play Bind again. That’s just how VALORANT works. We’ll see during next week’s practice how things evolve and what we decide to run next.

The current meta has been shifting. Are there any agent picks or comps that you feel are underused or perhaps overrated at the moment?

Chronicle: Omen on Icebox. Everyone’s picking it, and I think it’s a bit overrated. It’s being overused, and eventually, teams will figure it out. The problem is, by the time they do, it might be too late to make changes. Some teams won’t qualify for Champions, and even the ones that do might lose matches sticking to that comp. We’ve struggled against it ourselves. To be honest, barely scraping wins against that comp felt pretty rough. But I think we’re heading in the right direction and starting to figure out a solution. That said, sometimes you only win a round because of individual plays, that’s just the nature of FPS games.

You’re one of the most accomplished players in Tier 1 VALORANT scene. How do you stay at the top year after year?

Chronicle: For me, it’s all about the motivation to keep playing. I don’t fixate on wins or losses, and I don’t set expectations for myself, my team, or our opponents. That mindset helps me stay grounded. I want to perform at a consistently high level and stay in Tier 1 as long as I can. That requires peak performance. For instance, I’d say the EWC might have been the best performance of my entire career. It felt like I hit my prime. But I believe there’s more to come. I’m only 22, and some players stay at the top until they’re 35 or 36 look at ANGE1 (Kyrylo Karasov). So I’ve got time. Of course, nothing is guaranteed in esports, but I could just as easily go on to win every tournament over the next few years. Anything can happen.

Can you share something fun or chaotic that happened behind the scenes before this match that fans wouldn’t expect?

Chronicle: Today, we were just trolling our assistant coach, he’s Irish. For some reason, whenever they talk about going to Dubai, they say “Split the G” or some other weird expression. So we just kept asking, "Can you guys split the G?" It’s a super local inside joke I can’t even explain it. And I saw kaajak’s (Kajetan Haremski) gameday TikTok, it was hilarious. Highly recommend it. Probably the most brain-melting content you’ll find on the internet."