NAVI ends VCT partnership after 2026 season
The Ukrainian esports organisation will not compete as a partnered team in the VALORANT Champions Tour in 2027 after four years in the international circuit.
NAVI will not compete as a partnered organisation in the VALORANT Champions Tour in 2027, ending a four-year run in the game's top-tier international circuit. The Ukrainian esports organisation confirmed the decision in a statement posted to its channels.
NAVI said it invested heavily in its VALORANT division with the aim of competing for international titles and building a lasting presence in the scene. The organisation acknowledged that its recent competitive results had fallen short of expectations. Partnered teams hold a guaranteed place in one of Riot Games' three international leagues and receive a share of league revenue.
The organisation said its attention would now move to NAVI Junior, a roster built through the academy project it launched earlier this year. NAVI Junior is set to appear at Project Blender 2026: Phase 2 and in the VCT EMEA Kickoff Qualifiers. Without a partner slot, any route back into VCT EMEA for the organisation now runs through open competition.
NAVI's strongest season came in its first year in the league. In 2023 it finished fourth in the VCT 2023: EMEA League for $25,000, placed third to fourth at VCT 2023: LOCK//IN Sรฃo Paulo for $40,000, and reached both VALORANT Masters Tokyo 2023 and VALORANT Champions 2023.
Results tailed off from there. The 2026 season proved the toughest of the four, with NAVI finishing seventh to eighth at the Kickoff, ninth to tenth at Stage 1 and 13th to 16th at Stage 2 in August, its lowest finish in the league. The organisation said that while its VCT partnership was coming to an end, its VALORANT journey would continue.
Source: invenglobal.com
