This might offer the Bees some consolation. Just hours after they were defeated by LOUD in the Champions Shanghai final,
Team Vitality have been selected as one of the eight
VCT EMEA partner teams for the 2027-2028 cycle, sources tell
Sheep Esports. Team Vitality are one of the most prestigious organizations in esports, with prominent teams in
Counter-Strike 2, Rocket League, and League of Legends, just to name a few.
The Hive and the supporters group Golden Hornets make up a vast fanbase for Team Vitality. As one of the biggest teams representing France in the VCT, and with expensive rosters built across various Riot Games esports titles, Team Vitality’s selection as a VCT EMEA partner team comes as no shock. However, the team’s French identity put it in direct competition with two other French organizations, Gentle Mates and Karmine Corp, at a time when Riot Games had indicated its intention to ensure a balanced regional representation among the league’s partner teams.
One superteam after another
Team Vitality have been present in VALORANT esports since 2021. They were selected in 2023 as one of the many partner teams. They truly broke out in the later stages of 2024, with an average roster on paper making it to that year’s Champions, before constructing a superteam in 2025 including big names such as Saif “Sayf” Jibraeel, Felipe “Less” Basso, and Nikita “Derke” Sirmitev.
Vitality’s first attempt at a superteam started off strong with a 2025 Stage 1 win and a top-4 finish in Masters Bangkok. However, the team collapsed by the end of the year. Vitality went right back at it and created another star-studded roster for 2026, bringing in Elias “Jamppi” Olkkonen, Dawid “PROFEK” Święc, Timofey “Chronicle” Khromov, and Ștefan “Sayonara” Mîtcu.
This time, Vitality started off slow before securing a top-4 finish in Masters London. The team had a rough Stage 2 and barely made it to Champions Shanghai on points, where they went on a fantastic run compared to expectations,
therefore losing only to eventual champions LOUD, twice.
A hopeful 2027
With a strong end to the season, Team Vitality have reignited hope for EMEA as the definitive superteam that can represent the region well in global tournaments. While most teams struggle to maintain their form for multiple years, Team Vitality have the opportunity to join the elite few in achieving such a feat if they keep their incredibly strong roster for the VCT 2027 season.
