Team Vitality’s star duelist Nikita “Derke” Sirmitev is excited about 2026. In an exclusive interview, he discussed reuniting with former Fnatic teammate Timofey “Chronicle” Khromov and VIT’s roster changes.
Reflecting on 2025’s Mixed Results
Winning VCT EMEA Kickoff and placing fourth at Masters Bangkok gave Vitality a strong start. “The tournament was good. We didn’t just drop out in the Playoffs without a fight. It was a great experience,” Derke explained.
But the rest of 2025 brought disappointment as VIT failed to qualify for other international events. “We still had a great start to the year. We started strong, but then we kind of slowed down a little. Many teams would like to be in our position, even with the lack of results during the year.”
New Faces Join Vitality
VIT made major roster moves for 2026. Elias “Jamppi” Olkkonen, David “PROFEK” Święć, and Chronicle joined while Kimmie “Kicks” Laasner and Felipe “Less” Basso departed.
Derke praised his new teammates highly. “Jamppi has matured a lot. He’s consistent, experienced, and stepping up as a leader is incredible for us. I fully trust him.” He noted PROFEK’s consistency as a controller throughout 2025 impressed him greatly.
Despite Less leaving, Derke expressed gratitude. “I’m really grateful for him because we won a tournament with him. He was such a funny guy. He put a smile on anyone so easily.” Derke even learned some Portuguese, including “bom trabalho” which means good job but can be used sarcastically after bad plays.
The Chronicle Connection
Reuniting with Chronicle excited both fans and Derke himself. The duo won VCT LOCK//IN São Paulo 2023, Masters Tokyo 2023, and two domestic titles together on Fnatic.
“I’m really happy to play with him again. He’s Russian, and I speak Russian because of my dad, which helped us build a strong connection,” Derke shared. “He plays this game differently. He can be in the toughest situations and still stay calm.”
Derke especially values Chronicle’s professionalism. “He listens and gives his opinion honestly and respectfully, even if you made a really bad play. That’s a rare quality in this scene, because sometimes egos get in the way.”
Watching Chronicle lose the Champions 2025 final with Fnatic hurt. “I know how much that title meant to them. He’s a smart guy, he knows he’s good, and someday that trophy will be his.”
Goals for 2026
Derke wants Vitality qualifying for more international tournaments before thinking about championships. “We’re going full gas pedal. I don’t want to go in with a ‘we need to win’ mentality, but I want us to at least qualify for the bigger tournaments before aiming for victories.”
VCT 2026 Kickoff begins January 20 for EMEA, giving Vitality their first chance to prove the roster changes worked.
Sarah Smith is a passionate gamer girl who loves playing Valorant in her free time, climbing the ranks to Ascendant 3 with a peak of Immortal 1. When she's not locking down sites as a Cypher main, she’s fragging out with Reyna, Jett, or supporting with Skye. Her favorite maps include Haven, Ascent, and Fracture, where she loves using her go-to weapons like the Vandal, Marshal, Stinger, and Ghost. A big fan of stylish plays, Sarah rocks her favorite skins from the VCT 2021 bundle, Prime, and Nocturnum collections.