According to sources close to Sheep Esports, FOKUS are expected to make changes to their lineup, with Aaro "hoody" Peltokangas being benched and Samed “Samed” Topbas joining the active roster for EMEA Ascension. The tournament will take place from October 18 to 26 in Berlin, played on LAN, and will award two highly coveted slots in the VCT EMEA to the top two of the eight participating teams.

The Austrian player was first introduced by the German organization as a substitute on July 18, and he should now be making his official competitive debut with FOKUS next month. This is undoubtedly the most important Tier 2 event of the year. Known for his skill on Duelists, he previously made a name for himself in the DACH subtop scene before stepping up to Challengers with DIVIZION and later featuring in matches for Fenerbahçe Esports, Wylde, and TeamOrange.

A change after a small fail

Despite finishing in eighth and last place in the overall points standings, FOKUS will still be present at EMEA Ascension. The German organization, one of the most recognized names in the VALORANT ecosystem, had already reached the tournament in 2023, missed out in 2024, and is now making its return in 2025.

Crowned champions of Stage 1 in DACH Challengers, they went on to secure a fourth-place finish in EMEA Challengers. In Stage 2, they advanced all the way to the grand final, where they fell to CGN Esports, a team they had previously beaten earlier in the split, but still managed to clinch another qualification for the EMEA event. With yet another top 4 placement, they returned to DACH for Stage 3 but failed to reach the regional final, and therefore could not qualify for the last split of the season. Nevertheless, thanks to their consistency throughout the year, FOKUS had already secured its ticket to Ascension.

For more roster changes, check out our Transfers Hub.You can also follow every confirmed move and leak throughout the offseason with our Offseason Tracker.