VCT EMEA Stage 1 Power Rankings

The VCT EMEA returns on April 1st to crown a new regional champion seven months after Team Liquid’s victory. As the teams prepare to compete for the first regional trophy of the season, several favorites who distinguished themselves during the Kickoff already appear well-positioned, while others—having struggled at the start of the year—have opted for roster changes in the hope of improving their performances and meeting their objectives. Before diving into a new stretch of competition in Europe, Sheep Esports presents its Power Rankings of the top teams ahead of the start of the event.

Following a strong debut in the VCT EMEA and their first appearances in an international tournament, BBL Esports are already considered one of the best teams in the global VCT scene — proving, much like the winners of the Masters Santiago, Nongshim Redforce, that rising teams are dominating the major leagues. As Stage 1 EMEA kicks off, BBL Esports are positioned as the tournament favorite but will have to face powerhouse teams like Vitality and Fnatic.

Announced as the favourites heading into the EMEA Kick-off, Vitality failed to deliver and missed out on qualifying for the Masters Santiago. With the arrival of Ștefan "Sayonara" Mîtcu, who recently turned 18 and is touted as a raw talent, he will join an all-star roster for his VCT debut. Despite this unknown factor, Vitality still position themselves as one of the top EMEA teams and a serious contender for the 2026 Split 1 title. With the break between the Kick-off and Stage 1, Vitality have had time for Sayonara to acclimate, particularly during the EMEA Clash and the weeks of preparation leading up to the split’s start.

Fnatic were eliminated just short of qualifying for Masters Santiago. With Timofey "Chronicle" Khromov’s departure for Vitality earlier this year, the Black and Orange had to act quickly in the transfer market and signed the French player Sylvain "Veqaj" Pattyn. This adjustment period could ultimately work in their favor. Having already played a full split with this new roster gives them better team chemistry and a more solid understanding of the game. This gradual rise in form could make the difference in upcoming matches and allow Fnatic to secure their qualification for the next Masters, which will take place in their own city, London.

For Gentle Mates, the journey since joining the VCT had seemed like a horror story until Riot decided to give them the Movistar KOI vacant slot. With a new roster retaining only Patrik "Minny" Hušek, the organization built a team brimming with talent that secured a top-2 finish at the EMEA Kick-Off 2026. The roster qualified for the first international VALORANT event for the French organization. They even advanced to the playoffs by defeating Team Liquid, but didn’t win a single match after that. For Gentle Mates, the goal is to stay in the top ranks and remain competitive.

Team Liquid’s results this year have been very encouraging, with a #3 seed snatched from Fnatic. It’s fair to say they failed to deliver at the Masters Santiago, where they were eliminated with just a single win to their name during the tournament, a victory they secured against the defending Masters champions, T1. For Liquid, this feels above all like the first real test of this new roster on the international stage. This experience provides them with a solid foundation to build upon and highlights the necessary adjustments. With greater cohesion and experience, the team has everything it needs to elevate its level of play, establish itself as one of the league’s top teams, and ultimately compete with the biggest names in the global VCT.

With a new recruit named Berkcan "ComeBack" Şentürk in their ranks, Team Heretics struggled early this year. Even though four of last year’s five players have remained, the young Turkish Duelist’s adjustment to Heretics’ game plan seemed to be more difficult than expected. Finishing in the top 6 at the 2026 EMEA Kick-Off, Heretics failed to qualify for the Santiago Masters. Nevertheless, the core of the team remains solid and experienced, and these initial difficulties can be seen as a necessary adjustment phase. If Comeback manages to find its place and fully integrate into the team’s gameplay systems, Heretics could quickly return to a competitive level.

With the team’s performance falling short of expectations given the players they had signed, Karmine Corp decided to make changes following a difficult split that saw them finish in 9th place at the VCT EMEA Kick-Off, having played only four matches and secured just one victory against FUT Esports. It was ultimately thanks to the moves made by Sentinels in VCT Americas that the decision was accelerated, allowing KC to recruit a former player from the organization: Marshall “N4RRATE” Massey. At the same time, IGL Bogdan "Sheydos" Naumov was benched, handing the lead to Hazem “avez” Khaled. It remains to be seen whether these adjustments will pay off and allow Karmine Corp to return to the level expected of them.

With a season opener marked by a lack of consistency, GIANTX failed to live up to the expectations set for them at the 2026 EMEA Kick-Off. Despite a roster of experienced and promising players, the team struggled to dictate the pace of the game and close out matches, finishing outside the qualifying spots for the Masters Santiago. For GIANTX, Stage 1 represents an opportunity to bounce back. The team will need to address its weaknesses, particularly in terms of coordination and decision-making at key moments. With more time to work on and refine their gameplay identity, they have what it takes to come back stronger and compete for a spot among the region’s top teams.

Despite a promising start at the Kickoff, NAVI subsequently collapsed, suffering three consecutive defeats and failing to reassure observers during the EMEA Clash. The Ukrainian organization was therefore active during the offseason, making two roster changes with the arrivals of Caide “chloric” Heaton and Abdullah “ExiT” Al-Twaijri, who replace Volkan “sociablEE” Yönal and Andrei “Shao” Kiprskii. With a possible adjustment period ahead, NAVI will nevertheless need to deliver solid performances in their opening matches—potentially favorable encounters against Team Heretics and FUT Esports.

Despite the arrival of Efe “s0pp” Tur for his first experience in the VCT, FUT Esports still appear some distance from contending with the league’s top teams. The identity of the roster’s fifth player remains unknown just days before the start of the competition, adding further uncertainty to a squad that did not manage to win a single match during the Kick-Off. FUT will therefore have to rely on quickly developing team synergy, as well as the individual talent of their players, if they are to emerge from what appears to be a particularly stacked group.

Eternal Fire enter the league under less than ideal circumstances. The Turkish organization replaces ULF Esports, which Riot Games decided to remove from the league, and inherits the majority of the former roster. The team has also signed Ömür Serkan “echo” Şenol, who turned 18 on February 20 and will therefore make his VCT debut. Despite this addition, the lineup failed to secure a single victory at the Kick-Off and will need to improve significantly if it hopes to perform during Stage 1.

PCIFIC Esports continue their season with several changes to their coaching staff. Following the official departure of Kaan “Leader” Taşpınar, who leaves the reins to Manuel “thinkii” Martínez, the Turkish side will face opponents against whom they are not necessarily favored. Despite occasionally promising performances at the Kick-Off, particularly from Johann “seven” Hernandez and Felix “al0rante” Brandl, PCF will likely need to exceed expectations if they hope to achieve meaningful results and potentially advance from their group.