Look Sports Media – Team Vitality has made a strategic power play, bolstering their Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) roster with the addition of renowned sports psychologist Edgar “Psych-Chek” Chekera as performance coach. This move comes ahead of the crucial VCT EMEA Stage 1 Playoffs, signaling a commitment to mental fortitude as much as raw skill.
Psych-Chek brings a wealth of experience to Vitality, having previously worked with top-tier esports organizations including Guild Esports, Giantx, Fnatic, Falcon Esports, Manchester City esports/City Football Group, and Global Esports. His expertise in mental performance coaching is widely respected within the industry. The addition of Psych-Chek marks another British talent joining Vitality’s FPS division, following the success of Counter-Strike 2 pro William “mezii” Merriman, who recently contributed to Vitality’s BLAST Rivals Spring 2025 victory.
Joining Psych-Chek is Aleksey “slk” Lunksov, a new VCT assistant coach with a proven track record, including stints with Fnatic where he played a key role in their VCT LOCK//IN São Paulo and Valorant Masters Tokyo wins in 2023. Interestingly, both Psych-Chek and slk have prior experience working with Vitality’s star player, Nikita “Derke” Sirmitev, during their time at Fnatic. There’s also a possibility Psych-Chek previously worked with Vitality’s in-game leader, Saif “Sayf” Jibraeel, during Sayf’s time with Guild Esports.
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Psych-Chek expressed his excitement on X (formerly Twitter), stating, "Nice to be with some old faces and work with some new faces! Excited to be with this talented bunch and to be part of the journey. Let’s get cooking!" This enthusiasm underscores the potential impact of this strategic addition to the Vitality team.
Vitality’s 2025 started strong with a VCT EMEA Kickoff victory, but their momentum faltered in the Valorant Masters Bangkok Playoffs. The VCT EMEA Stage 1 has presented further challenges, with a recent loss to Natus Vincere leaving them facing a tough lower bracket battle in the Playoffs. Securing a spot at Valorant Masters Toronto in June will require a significant performance improvement, and the addition of Psych-Chek suggests Vitality are leaving no stone unturned in their pursuit of victory. The pressure is on, but with this new coaching staff, Vitality might just have the mental edge they need to overcome the odds.
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