SOURCES: cNed expected to be benched by PCIFIC Esports

Champion with Acend at the Champions 2021, Mehmet "cNed" İpek is expected to be benched by PCIFIC Esports, sources tell Sheep Esports. The Turkish VALORANT star, who has competed in every VCT EMEA season so far, is therefore not expected to play Split 2 with the Turkish organization, as the team looks to make changes in hopes of shifting the project’s momentum, with the apparent intention of fielding Johann "seven" Hernandez as the main Duelist.

Having qualified through Ascension EMEA, PCIFIC lost its entire roster during the late 2025 offseason, with every player joining partner organization BBL Esports. After securing promotion to VCT EMEA, the Turkish organization had to rebuild an entire project from scratch for its first year at the highest level of VALORANT. Among the players recruited for this new lineup, cNed stood out as by far the most experienced profile on the roster.

Formerly with Acend, where he won the first VALORANT world championship, as well as Natus Vincere and FUT Esports, the Turkish Duelist remains one of the most recognizable names in Riot Games’ FPS competitive scene, notably thanks to his impressive longevity at the Tier 1 level. Despite that experience, and alongside players coming mostly from Tier 2 such as seven, Patryk "NINJA" Koczyba and Felix "al0rante" Brandl, he was unable to lead PCIFIC to success in 2026.

The results speak for themselves, both literally and statistically. PCIFIC finished the VCT EMEA group stage without a single win across eight matches, securing only four maps in total. The negative momentum also continued during the Esports World Cup qualifier, where the team suffered back-to-back losses against NAVI and GIANTX in two close series, especially the first one against the Ukrainian organization. In a Duelist role that demands impact and strong numbers, cNed appeared to struggle. According to statistics available on VLR.gg, he finished the group stage with a 0.89 K:D ratio.