VCT EMEA 2026: Three wins short of Champions

The culmination of our VALORANT team’s dominant first half of the season came with a trip to VCT EMEA in Berlin. Among the 16 best teams in the region, we entered the tournament with one goal in mind: securing one of two coveted spots at the Champions in China. Our run ultimately came to an end in the playoffs, just three wins away from making that dream a reality.

As the winners of Challengers EMEA: Stage 3, we earned our spot in the VCT EMEA Play-Ins, where our first-ever Tier 1 match immediately put us up against one of the region’s biggest names – Fnatic. After trading maps to bring the series to 1–1, we held our nerve in the closing stages of Haven and edged out our opponents 13:11.

Our next Upper Bracket opponent was Gentle Mates, featuring our former player Minny. We delivered another confident performance, taking the series 2:0 (13:9, 13:6) and moving just one step away from securing our place in the playoffs.

Standing between us and the playoffs was Turkish side Fire Flux Esports. Despite another closely contested series, our players delivered when it mattered most, securing a 2:0 victory and punching our ticket to the very top level of European VALORANT.

Our first playoff match brought another major challenge in the form of French powerhouse Team Vitality. After dropping the opening map, we fought back on Abyss, narrowly taking the map 13:11 to level the series. On the deciding Lotus, however, our experienced lineup delivered one of its strongest performances of the tournament, dismantling the favorites 13:4 and booking a place in the Upper Bracket semifinals.

Waiting for us there was Karmine Corp, who would ultimately go on to win the entire tournament. Despite losing the opening map, we refused to let the result affect our momentum and fought our way back to level the series at 1–1. One more map stood between us and another major upset.

Unfortunately, Lotus did not go our way. Karmine Corp took control of the map and closed out the series, sending us into the Lower Bracket.

With our tournament life on the line, we faced Team Liquid in a do-or-die matchup. After losing the opening map 4:13, we fought relentlessly to keep our run alive. The second map went all the way to overtime, but despite our best efforts, Team Liquid eventually closed it out 14:12.

Our VCT EMEA run therefore comes to an end with a 5th–6th place finish and $10,000 in prize money.

More importantly, we proved that we can compete with the very best teams in the region. In our first-ever VCT EMEA appearance, we came within just three wins of qualifying for the Champions in China.

Thank you to all of our partners for their continued support, and most importantly, to every fan who stood behind us and pushed us forward throughout the tournament. We truly appreciate every bit of it.