Sources: Obstinatus will join Maryville University's collegiate program in 2026

Initially set to retire earlier this year, Guilherme Jose "Obstinatus" Cruz is back in Tier 2 thanks to NA's unique collegiate system. The Portuguese support will join Maryville University in North America, sources tell Sheep Esports. He last competed in the 2025 Spring Northern League of Legends Championship (NLC) with Verdant. Maryville had a sudden opening at support after Michael "Cryogen" Luu caught the eye of FlyQuest during in-person tryouts organized by the League of Legends Championship Series team.

Alongside Obstinatus, the current collegiate champions are reported to bring back jungler Ganbat "Yuuji" Ulziidelger ahead of the 2026 season. Together, they could help MU look to win back-to-back College League of Legends Championships, a feat not achieved since 2023.

In the North America Challengers League (NACL), Maryville has a partnership this year with Brandon Sanderson's Dragonsteel Entertainment and DarkZeroGG, under the name DarkZero Dragonsteel. Last week, it was announced that DarkZero had acquired NRG Esports’ entire organization. At this time, Sheep Esports does not know whether Maryville will maintain its partnership with DarkZero, nor whether the NRG branding will be used.

The 22-year-old had originally announced his retirement earlier this year after his participation in NLC's Winter Split ended with a short-and-sweet message on X. Before the start of Spring, Verdant inquired about a possible return for one more split, which he gladly accepted. Together, they finished second in their group and were eliminated fourth during the playoffs.

Obstinatus stepped back from competition to focus on his university studies. However, when he was given the opportunity to study in North America by joining Briar Cliff Esports in the CLOL, where esports helped cover his tuition, it became an ideal way to combine his new academic ambitions with his existing esports skillset. Just three months later, Obstinatus received another opportunity, this time joining Maryville University.

During his ERL career, Obstinatus played for various teams across Portugal, Spain, and France. In 2025, he concluded his NLC Spring Split with a fourth-place finish, following a 0–3 defeat against Los Ratones.

This move marks the first — and likely only — roster change of the offseason, bringing a European player to North America. It comes as a response of sorts after G2 Academy recruited rising American mid laner Alex "Toasty" Chea to compete in the German ERL. That said, ERL players moving to North America’s Tier 2 scene is not unprecedented. Greek midlaner Prodromos “PrettyGRE” Kevezitidis previously competed in 100 Thieves Challengers in 2023, while Lebanese midlaner Ahmad “Giyuu” Charif (formerly known as Korean Kid) played for EG Academy in 2020.

Historically, European players moving to North America has been the norm, despite a recent reversal of this trend. However, the fact that collegiate esports facilitated such a move in Obstinatus’ case is a first.