Sources: Movistar KOI have not been selected as a VCT EMEA partner team for the 2027–2028 cycle

Riot Games and Movistar KOI have made peace, but the club’s return to VCT EMEA has not materialized. At the end of 2025, the club founded by streamer Ibai Llanos was excluded from VCT EMEA after failing to comply with the terms of its agreement with the publisher. Riot accused KOI of “failure to immediately replace Ibai Llanos as the main asset broadcasting the matches” and of failing to meet its contractual co-streaming requirements — a clause that was unique to KOI within the EMEA partnership structure. In the wake of the dispute, the organization withdrew entirely from VALORANT, shutting down its academy team in VCL Spain.

Despite this history, Movistar KOI had been hoping to return to VCT EMEA for the 2027–2028 cycle. Ibai himself had hinted at the club’s intention to return during a stream in mid-September, revealing that he had met with Leo Faria, Global Head of VALORANT Esports, to discuss the organization’s plans. “I met with Leo Faria and committed to broadcasting all of KOI’s matches. […] We’re at the final stage, with 15 teams remaining and eight spots available. […] We’re already negotiating with players.” However, despite these efforts, the club has ultimately not been selected as one of the eight partner teams, putting an end, at least for now, to its hopes of returning to the regional top tier of VALORANT.

This fresh start for the organization was meant to coincide with a broader reset across the ecosystem. VALORANT esports is returning to a more open circuit, with the number of partner teams dropping from ten to eight per region — making Movistar KOI’s failure to secure a spot all the more noteworthy. While partner teams are losing some of their privileges, including their near-exclusive access to qualification for international events, their status still comes with tangible benefits. They are guaranteed a place in their region’s Kickoff tournament, with the EMEA season opener set to take place in Berlin, Germany, from January 14 to February 7.

Partnership status also allows teams to bypass the opening rounds of the Open Qualifiers, which are open to all teams and lead into the “Cups”. These Cups effectively replace the Stages held in previous seasons. They will now be the sole route to international events, giving non-partner teams a chance to compete for a place on the global stage. In EMEA, the first Cup will be held in Warsaw, Poland, from April 29 to May 23, followed by the second in Istanbul, Türkiye, from August 5 to 29. The region will also host the year’s second Masters, which is scheduled to take place in Valencia from June 5 to 20 — an event that would have offered MKOI the prospect of competing almost on home soil had the club secured a partnership spot. Financially, partner teams will first continue to receive a base payment while also retaining revenue generated through their in-game team capsules.

During their three years in VCT EMEA, Movistar KOI never managed to qualify for an international event. In fact, the team consistently found itself near the bottom of the standings. Its best result came at Kickoff 2024, where it finished in the top six; otherwise, it invariably placed between ninth and twelfth. Those results could have counted against the organization in the selection process for the new partnership cycle, given that Riot Games considered that while incumbent teams benefit from having an established track record and years of data to point to, that history could also work against them. Ultimately, KOI’s past performances may not have been enough to convince Riot that the organization deserved one of the eight available spots.

Other factors that could strengthen an organization’s bid include having a Game Changers team and contributing to regional representation. Yet MKOI have never fielded a GC roster, while Spain was already well represented in the league through Team Heretics and GIANTX. This suggests that the decisive factor behind MKOI’s unsuccessful bid may have been the balance between its popularity and the other criteria considered by Riot Games. Ibai’s club remains the most-followed organization in Spain and the only one to have built narratives that resonate with other communities, most notably through its rivalry with France’s Karmine Corp.

In League of Legends, MKOI has also remained a key partner for Riot Games throughout the year, hosting three Roadtrips — one in Barcelona and two in Madrid. It is difficult to imagine that this close relationship did not work in the club’s favour during the selection process, particularly as Riot increasingly looks to expand this kind of initiative. Nevertheless, that relationship was apparently not enough to secure MKOI a place in the next VCT EMEA partnership cycle.

The decision leaves Movistar KOI facing an uncertain future in VALORANT. Having previously withdrawn from the game following its exclusion at the end of 2025, the organization will now have to reconsider its options if it wants to return to the competitive scene. With the new format opening up more opportunities for non-partner teams through Open Qualifiers and the Cups, a return remains theoretically possible — but the path back to the international stage will be considerably less straightforward without the security and benefits that come with a partnership.