LYON have not been selected as a partner organization for the
VCT Americas 2027-2028 cycle, sources tell
Sheep Esports. The Mexican club competed in the
VALORANT Challengers League Latin America North during the 2026 season, and their failure to secure a partnership spot represents a setback for an organization that had been looking to establish itself in the regionâs top tier.
While much of
LYONâs legacy has been built in
League of Legends, the organization also participated in
VALORANT tournaments in 2020 before returning to the scene this year. Their roster won the 2026 Latin America North Stage 1 and ACE Masters titles before all players were released in July. Despite these achievements, LYON will have to find another route into the VCT Americas after failing to secure one of the leagueâs partnership spots.
valyn as an IGL
As previously reported by
Sheep Esports, LYON had
reached a verbal agreement with G2 Esportsâ player Jacob "valyn" Batio, one of the most successful in-game leaders in the region, ahead of the upcoming season. However, the organization has ultimately not been selected as a partner team for the VCT Americas 2027â2028 cycle.
LYON will therefore have to pursue a different route to the VCT Americas under the new format. The league will feature eight partnered organizations alongside four non-partnered teams qualifying through the Open Qualifiers for Kickoff SĂŁo Paulo. The top three teams from Kickoff Americas will qualify for the first Masters event of the year, which will take place in Seoul, while the remaining teams will
drop down to the Open Playoffs.
Partner organizations will receive financial support through a partner stipend, team capsules, and a share of the VALORANT Champions Bundle revenue. On top of that, the circuit will feature a total prize pool of over $7 million.
LYON continue to expand footprint
Founded in 2013 as Lyon Gaming, the organization established itself as a prominent name in the Latin American
League of Legends scene. Following a brand and trademark dispute, it competed under the Rainbow7 identity before being rebranded as LYON following a merger with Six Karma.
The organization has won multiple regional titles and made four appearances at the
League of Legends World Championship, with their fifth campaign set to begin on October 23
against Secret Whales. Moreover, 2026 has been a successful year for LYON, as they lifted the LCS Lock-In and Spring trophies while finishing second in the LCS Summer split and third at the Mid-Season Invitational.
The organizationâs Free Fire roster also won the 2026 Free Fire World Championship at the Esports World Cup in Paris. In addition to this, LYON entered the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang esports scene this year to compete in the MLBB Championship Tour Americas.
Despite their continued expansion across multiple esports titles, LYONâs failure to secure a VCT Americas partnership spot means that their ambitions in VALORANT will have to take a different path. The signing of valyn nevertheless suggests that the organization remains serious about competing at the highest level. Whether that investment can pay off without the benefits of partner status will be one of the key questions surrounding LYONâs next chapter in VALORANT.
