VALORANT’s Packed Week: Fnatic, EMEA, Masters London Tierlists

Even without ongoing VCT tournaments, the competitive VALORANT landscape experienced significant developments and intense debates over the past week.

Covering everything from roster adjustments at Fnatic to the highly anticipated participants for Masters London, this is a summary of notable events you may have overlooked!

Fnatic, an organization with a prominent history in VALORANT, implemented considerable alterations to its coaching personnel last week. Following the contentious dismissal of previous Head Coach Milan “Milan” de Meij a fortnight prior, Fnatic revealed Andrey “Engh” Sholokhov as the new incumbent.

Engh had dedicated almost three years to Karmine Corp, departing due to consecutive underwhelming outcomes. His arrival at Fnatic coincides with a period of instability for the team. Fnatic, having secured runner-up positions at Masters Toronto and Champions Paris the previous year, recently missed qualification for its second international VCT competition of 2026.

These uncharacteristic regional showings have also resulted in heightened scrutiny—and even abuse—from certain Fnatic supporters. The hostility intensified after the team’s exit from the Esports World Cup (EWC) EMEA Qualifier, leading official Fnatic spokespersons and community figures to address the issue.

“Such an outcome is deeply regrettable, but I genuinely haven’t encountered such vile remarks accompanying match reports in my entire experience. I urge everyone to behave reasonably,” emphasized Fnatic’s Senior Social Media Manager, David “Davard” E.

Beyond the fact that online negativity is wholly unwarranted, it’s vital to recall that Fnatic had been playing with substitute Clément “CyvOph” Millard since the Stage 1 Playoffs. Now that Sylvain “Veqaj” Pattyn has rejoined the main lineup, the squad has eight weeks before Stage 2 to regain its momentum.

Regarding Engh’s newly appointed position with the team, the coach conveyed in the introductory video that he has preliminary thoughts on areas where Fnatic can enhance its performance. He additionally underscored his intention to assist the team’s in-game leader, Jake “Boaster” Howlett, without altering the established framework the IGL has implemented for Fnatic.

The VALORANT community in the DACH region received disheartening news recently. PROJECT V declared the conclusion of its four-year presence as a tournament organizer within the regional VALORANT esports landscape.

“Following extensive discussions and considerable thought, we have reached the arduous conclusion to cease operating any league under the PROJECT V banner beginning in 2027,” the organization elaborated in its public declaration.

“While the forthcoming alterations to the ecosystem will unquestionably present fresh avenues for innovative approaches and designs within the competitive arena, we have, regrettably, determined that we no longer envision our role in this evolving phase.”

PROJECT V managed the DACH sub-region as part of VALORANT’s EMEA Challengers framework. Each phase provided leading teams with entry into the corresponding Challengers EMEA competition. Furthermore, the entity organized mixed-gender Tier 3 competitions and a DACH-centric series for female and underrepresented gender players, known as Equal Esports Queens.

During its tenure as an event organizer, PROJECT V became an indispensable component of VALORANT’s esports environment in EMEA, fostering professional pathways for both competitors and emerging on-air personalities. Subsequent to the news, numerous community members offered cherished recollections and conveyed appreciation for PROJECT V’s contributions.

“Were it not for PROJECT V, Akamask wouldn’t be part of international broadcasts. The DACH competitive space served as my foundation for the last three years, and I am thankful for every aspect of it,” remarked VALORANT broadcast personality Patrick “Akamask” Decker.

Timon “Timon” Praast, a German observer and producer, wrote: “This marks the end of the phase that initiated my involvement in esports. I wish to express gratitude to everyone I encountered during my time with PROJECT V. For the shared experiences and for aiding my personal development. My deepest thanks for all, PROJECT V.”

Given the cessation of PROJECT V’s event management, all previously disclosed competitions have likewise been annulled. Nevertheless, THE POKAL 2026 will proceed, serving as a “collective concluding installment” for this period of DACH VALORANT competitive play.

A further significant alteration within VALORANT esports in EMEA was unveiled by Riot Games during the previous week. This announcement failed to garner the positive community reception Riot had anticipated.

Commencing with VCT EMEA Stage 2, the Riot Games Arena in Berlin will adopt a two-stage broadcasting arrangement for its VCT and LEC offerings. Prior to this, both leagues utilized a single stage, precluding VCT weekend fixtures.

This revised methodology enables Riot to simultaneously air both championships. VCT EMEA will now feature weekend games, but this comes with a considerable trade-off. Stage 2 will be conducted solely on the “Studio Stage” for broadcasting purposes until the Playoffs. Consequently, there will be no in-person spectators, apart from a single Playoffs week and the Finals event in Barcelona.

“To foster the growth of an esport, investment is essential, isn’t it? I find it incomprehensible how one can simultaneously assert that live spectators are a fundamental aspect of the experience while DELIBERATELY EXCLUDING US???!,” responded VALORANT commentator YuLi to Riot’s declaration.

Predictably, this development prompted numerous community members and industry experts to voice apprehension regarding the long-term viability of the VALORANT esports framework beyond territories such as Pacific and China. Specifically, Western VCT viewership has been trending downwards, and physical audiences greatly enhance the ambiance and allure of offline competitions.

Long-standing VCT player Patryk “starxo” Kopczyński further highlighted how favoring broadcast-exclusive contests could affect player drive: “Reaching international VALORANT events is an incredibly difficult feat, given the scarcity of regional qualification slots compared to other titles.

“The primary motivation for many aspiring young players to pursue a professional career stems from the opportunity to connect with global fans, to experience the rush of competing on grand platforms before thousands of onlookers. In VALORANT, this experience has been severely restricted from the outset, and there’s little indication of imminent improvement.”

From my perspective, the absence of a live audience for the majority of matches will undoubtedly diminish the spectator enjoyment during Stage 2, even for the most fervent enthusiasts. Given the substantial ecological transformations anticipated next year, one can only hope that Riot actively engages with and integrates community input before the fanbase diminishes further.

The most recent regional VCT showdown before Masters London was the VCT Americas Stage 1 Grand Final, contested by Leviatán and G2 Esports. Even though they emerged from the Lower Playoffs Bracket and faced a disadvantage of two fewer map bans, G2 Esports overcame its Americas competitor 3-2, reclaiming the apex position in its region.

As the team clinched its fourth VCT Americas championship, the perennial inquiry resurfaces: Is G2 Esports capable of translating its regional supremacy into its inaugural international victory? Indeed, G2 Esports was unable to attain these continually evasive global VCT pinnacles throughout 2025 – the very year the organization accomplished its consecutive VCT Americas trophy triumphs.

While the team never drastically underperformed at VCT worldwide competitions, it habitually faltered right before the concluding stage. This issue was intended to be resolved with the permanent recruitment of Andrej “babybay” Francisty prior to the current season. He assumed the position of the squad’s motivator and psychological cornerstone.

Nevertheless, following another Playoffs exit at Masters Santiago, the year’s initial international VCT tournament, skepticism is again surfacing regarding G2 Esports’ prospects for vindication on a worldwide VCT platform.

Beyond the psychological strain this lineup might be experiencing, I contend that G2 Esports is not currently operating at peak performance. While it can certainly outclass its regional adversaries, the recent Grand Final match against Leviatán also exposed troubling vulnerabilities in the team’s map selection, especially on Breeze.

Furthermore, several of the squad’s standout members, notably Nathan “leaf” Orf, have not exhibited their optimal individual capabilities throughout Stage 1. Despite Phoenix’s widespread dominance across various VCT regions, leaf has simply struggled to achieve the statistical parity seen among other elite Phoenix users.

My forecast suggests that G2 Esports will probably secure another top-four placement at Masters London.

Thus, if G2 Esports is not the primary candidate for the Masters London championship, then who is? The unequivocal response is Paper Rex. Following a tumultuous start to the season, this squad just concluded a three-game winning streak in the Lower Bracket, decisively defeating FULL SENSE 3-0 in the VCT Pacific Stage 1 Grand Final.

During this same campaign, Paper Rex additionally achieved a 3-0 victory over Global Esports, the very organization that had previously relegated Paper Rex to the Lower Bracket during the Upper Bracket Semifinals.

Should you be experiencing a sense of déjà vu, it is because Paper Rex executed a comparable Lower Bracket resurgence during the Stage 1 tournament of the previous year. This occurred immediately prior to the Southeast Asian entity claiming its inaugural international championship at Masters Toronto.

Admittedly, one might accuse me of partiality, which holds some truth. Nevertheless, even from an objective standpoint, circumstances undeniably favor Paper Rex. The squad possesses an excellent selection of maps, its members are performing optimally, and they shine with the agent currently boasting the highest win rate: Phoenix. Furthermore, Paper Rex is poised to gain from the impending adjustments to Neon, as their players never fully adapted to the agent during her peak.

Concluding with the remarks of VALORANT broadcast personality Josh “Sideshow” Wilkinson from the most recent Plat Chat installment: “We are almost compelled to categorize Paper Rex in a league of their own, aren’t we? If consensus declared them the frontrunner, and varied opinions existed for the second position, shouldn’t they practically occupy an ‘S’ tier by themselves? There appears to be a distinct capability divide between Paper Rex and the next best contender.”