Sources - VALORANT: aspas will stay with MIBR for 2026

According to sources close to Sheep Esports, Erick "aspas" Santos has reached a verbal agreement to continue with Made in Brazil (MIBR) in 2026, following a full season with the Brazilian organization. The 2022 World Champion with LOUD is expected to maintain his role as the team’s star player, at the center of a project being built around him. Per sources, teams from all regions have shown interest in aspas, particularly in VCT China and Americas. He was one of the most sought-after players of the offseason.

For the Brazilian roster, only two players are currently under contract through the end of 2026: Eduardo "xenom" Soeiro and Gabriel "cortezia" Cortez. However, the latter recently announced on social media that he is a restricted free agent. The future of both players with MIBR therefore remains uncertain, though decisions could come soon now that the club has begun reaching agreements with key profiles.

After a strong 2025 season, the Brazilian organization truly made its mark during the VALORANT Champions in Paris. Throughout the competitive year, MIBR consistently found itself finishing in third place—first at the VCT Americas Kickoff, then again during Stage 1. That latter result earned the team its first international appearance since the 2023 São Paulo Lock-In, with a spot at Masters Toronto. Unfortunately for them, after a 0-2 exit in the Swiss Stage, aspas and his teammates couldn’t showcase their full potential in Canada, breaking the promising momentum they had built.

Back in Los Angeles at the Riot Games studios, MIBR completely missed the mark in Stage 2, failing to reach the playoffs and nearly throwing away their chances of qualifying for Worlds, a goal that had seemed well within reach. In the end, thanks to the losses of a few direct rivals, the Brazilian squad secured a final spot at Champions Paris, where they showed an entirely new face. After defeating Bilibili Gaming, China’s #1 seed, the South American side fell to Fnatic, but bounced back by taking down Rex Regum Qeon, the Pacific region’s #2 seed, to reach the playoffs.

In the playoff bracket, MIBR started strong with a win over Team Heretics—the reigning Esports World Cup champions—before being knocked down to the lower bracket by NRG, the eventual surprise World Champions. Their journey ended there, with a respectable Top 5–6 finish against DRX, capping off a season that firmly re-established MIBR among the elite of international VALORANT.