Sources: heat set to rejoin KRÜ Esports for VCT Americas Stage 2

Without a team since the end of the 2025 season, Olavo "heat" Marcelo is expected to return to competition for VCT Americas Stage 2 with KRÜ Esports, sources tell Sheep Esports. Having previously played for the Argentine organization during the 2024 season, where he helped the team reach Champions Seoul, the Brazilian player is set to make his return to Tier 1 as KRÜ's race toward Champions Shanghai 2026 is currently off to a difficult start.

While KRÜ evaluated several candidates, including members of its Academy team, the limited time before competition led the organization to prioritize a player already familiar with the VCT environment, according to sources close to Sheep Esports.

After an underwhelming 2025 season with no major achievements, KRÜ failed to find the right solution during the offseason. Historically represented by a majority of Chilean players, Sergio Agüero's organization decided to take a different direction in 2026, building a roster composed of Argentine and Brazilian talent. However, the new lineup was unable to debut together at Kickoff due to visa issues, forcing the team to rely on last-minute stand-ins. The result was three consecutive losses and an early Top 11-12 finish in the first tournament of the year.

By the time VCT Americas Stage 1 arrived, those issues had been resolved, with the full roster finally assembled in Los Angeles. Led by 2022 World Champion Matias "Saadhak" Delipetro, the Argentine organization began to show signs of improvement, notably securing first place in Omega Group with a 4-1 record. That strong start quickly came to an end in the playoffs, however, as KRÜ suffered back-to-back defeats against G2 Esports in the upper bracket and NRG Esports in the lower bracket. The team was eliminated without winning a single map, a disappointing exit that ultimately prompted roster changes.

It was in this context that Caio "silentzz" Morita was benched by KRÜ on May 29 through a statement posted on X. In the announcement, the organization explained that, "This decision was finalized and communicated to the team following our elimination from the VCT Americas Playoffs and prior to the Esports World Cup qualifiers." The move was therefore announced just before the qualifier, a tournament the organization likely had limited expectations for as it looked to begin rebuilding as early as possible with VALORANT Champions Shanghai in mind.

Arriving at the qualifier with that decision already made and motivation potentially affected, KRÜ failed to find its footing. The team opened the event with a 0-2 loss to MIBR before coming close to upsetting Sentinels in the lower bracket, only to be eliminated in the end.

As a result, heat replaces his fellow Brazilian teammate in a fairly flexible role, one he has already occupied throughout previous stints. His responsibilities will likely vary depending on the team's needs and the specific requirements of each map in the pool.