Some good news from Riot about the Valorant Champions Tour EMEA league, wherever the wind of emotion was blowing along with much stronger wind.
The situation is this: Riot said that the EMEA Ascension circuit won’t be touched at all and will promote two teams to the big leagues of VCT EMEA as usual. Why is this insane? Well, for whoever is going to fill the spot left empty by the exit of Movistar KOI, Riot will pick it themselves. No tournament. No qualifiers. Just Riot saying, “you’re in.”
What was I again? Oh, yes, basically there’s not really something like this that’s ever happened in Valorant esports before. Normally teams are supposed to fight for opportunities to rise up. So this unusual turn is what everyone has been talking about, and not all of the talk are the nicest words.
This whole mess started when the Movistar KOI partnership ended, and ever since, from those players, speculation about who might get this nice, juicy spot has been ongoing. The responses to the announcement have been…interesting. One player even went out there and said, “so fucking garbage lmao”. Harsh but feel sometimes?
A lot of speculation abounds. Some players are rooting for M8 to get the spot, posting comments like “@ValorINTEL #M8WIN GENTLEMATES.” Another comment said, “C’est sur que c’est M8,” which, loosely translated from French, means “it’s definitely M8.” Others on the list must be Acend, with a player stating, “All of the Champs winners should be in VCT,” and well, fair point, to be honest.
But not everyone is happy with this. Those Spanish players, at least some of them, look to be quite upset: one translates to “And not even the ascension we’ve earned to play you let us. You’re incompetent,” another just stated, “Que hijosdeputa, a la mierda riot,” and… well, let’s just say those don’t sound like sincere good wishes to Riot headquarters.
There’s this whole conspiracy going around – one response said it happened “just because ibai is not costreaming the VCT lol,” which might be incredibly petty but kind of funny if true. But probably not. Maybe?
Yeah, the money game ain’t no exception either: “Riot: Alright who’s bringing me the most money? Its almost 2026 and we need more money for the MMO” which okay is kinda funny. Not entirely wrong either if we’re being real.
What makes this more interesting are the international reactions-as some comments pour in English, Spanish, French, Turkish-all suggesting the eximos-poles of Valorant stand for this drama. Everybody has an opinion on who deserves that spot. Some want Furia, some shout Sen2, and there’s even some random night market questions thrown in because, well, why not.
The whole “hand-picked” part is what really gets on people’s nerves. Like, competitive integrity and all that. One player called it “mafiosos,” which is dramatic but it gets the point across. Another player said it’s “a bit extreme to instantly terminate instead of a warning,” which then starts bringing up questions about what exactly went down with Movistar KOI in the first place.
But at the same time, it’s Riot running this show, and they can basically do whatever they want in their league. It’s their game, their Esports, their rules. Doesn’t mean players have to like it, though, and they’re definitely going to be vocal about their displeasure.
What’s wild is how quickly the community shifted from “oh Movistar KOI is out” to “who’s getting their spot” to “wait Riots just picking someone?”. The speculation train left the station immediately and is racing full speed ahead.
Some players are already looking into 2027, with talk of those teams being reviewed again for the partner program. It’s like everyone’s playing 4D chess whilst Riot is out here changing the rules midgame.
In the end, this is just another chapter in the ongoing saga between esports organizations and game developers in or out trying to sort this partnership thing out. Some days, it works; some days, it does not; and then finally, we have a day when Riot just picks their favorite team to skip another tournament.
The messy world of Valorant esports continues to be fun-filled drama to watch unfold. Whoever gets that spot is going to have really big shoes to fill and bigger expectations laid on them. And us bystanders will be there, watching and talking, and probably throwing another meme in the mix.
So yeah, Riot is in motion, players are mad, and the VCT EMEA landscape is going to be shaken up in a way nobody was expecting. Pretty classic Tuesday in Valorant esports, huh?
