Sources: Sacy, aspas and Less set to be part of Brazil VALORANT's team for Esports Nations Cup

A former Champions champion is set to lead Brazil’s VALORANT squad in the Esports Nations Cup. Gustavo “Sacy” Ross, a key former member of Sentinels in VCT Americas, is coming out of retirement to represent his country at the upcoming competition later this year, according to sources close to Sheep Esports. After stepping away from professional play in 2024, he had been working as a content creator for Made in Brazil (MIBR).

According to information gathered by our reporters, he is expected to be joined by Erick "aspas" Santos, the biggest Brazilian star in the game, and Felipe "Less" Basso, with whom he won the 2022 Champions. The roster is completed by Arthur "artzin" Araujo, Rodrigo "spikeziN" Lombardi, Lucca "lukxo" Travaioli, and Eduardo "Sato" Nagahama. THESPIKEBR was first to report this lineup.

The decision may appear somewhat surprising given the depth of Brazilian talent currently competing, particularly within VCT Americas. Nevertheless, Sacy remains a highly experienced figure on the international stage. Over the course of his four-year professional career, he participated in two editions of VALORANT Champions, won Masters Madrid 2024 and notably Champions 2022 with LOUD. His retirement announcement in 2024 after two seasons with SEN, made alongside that of Tyson “TenZ” Ngo, marked a significant moment in the organization’s history.

Ian “shaW” Jardim, the current Head Coach of FURIA, has been selected to lead the Brazilian team for the competition and was already announced a few days ago, alongside the other coaches from nations entering VALORANT. While the remainder of the roster has yet to be revealed, Brazil’s depth of talent suggests the nation could emerge as a serious contender for the title.

According to our reporters, the active roster and the two substitutes have not yet been finalized by shaW. For Brazil, which is very likely to receive a direct invitation to the competition, opportunities to test this lineup in real match conditions will be limited, making early decisions all the more critical. It is also worth noting that substitutes will not be allowed to travel to Saudi Arabia for the event.

Beyond the former LOUD trio, the Brazilian team appears to be betting on youth, with two 19-year-old players and one 18-year-old, alongside artzin, who brings three years of experience in VCT Americas.

Scheduled from November 2 to 29 for its inaugural edition in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, the nation-based competition, set to be the largest in esports history, is expected to bring together thousands of players from around a hundred countries, competing across nearly 16 titles. Alongside the VALORANT tournament, which will take place from November 8 to 15, national team competitions will also be held in Counter-Strike, Rocket League, and Rainbow Six Siege. For Riot Games’ FPS, around 32 teams, each representing a nation, will compete on site.

Before that, participants must first be determined. The Esports Foundation, which oversees both the ENC and the Esports World Cup, has decided that 16 of the 32 teams will qualify directly for the main event based on their representatives’ results within Riot Games’ official circuits. The remaining teams will have to go through one of seven regional qualifiers, each granting two spots. The final two slots are expected to be distributed as wildcards by the ENC, likely at the discretion of the event organizer.