After failing to meet the minimum performance requirements, APEKS will not participate in the VCT EMEA main league in 2026.
APEKS earned a spot in the VCT EMEA main league by winning the 2024 EMEA Ascension. However, since the Kickoff Stage, they have failed to secure a single victory, falling short of the league’s minimum performance standards and ultimately facing relegation.
APEKS leaves VCT EMEA
In 2026, APEKS will no longer compete in the VCT EMEA main league. Following their 1-2 defeat against Movistar KOI on Aug. 6, the team failed to meet the league's minimum performance requirements. This marks their 11th consecutive loss in the VCT since joining the main tournament for the Kickoff stage, which started in January, excluding the two losses during the Esports World Cup. The Norwegian organization will now come back to the lower tier, the Challengers.
The roster has changed a few times since they came to the VCT EMEA main tournament. One of the biggest stars of the team, Ava "florescent" Eugene, ended up taking a break from VALORANT in April. Before that, the team had already moved Tautvydas "hype" Paldavicius to the inactive roster. This year, they added three players to the main roster: Mehmet "batujnax" Batu Özaslan, Diogo "OLIZERA" Oliveira, and Erik "penny" Penny.
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APEKS x KOI
APEKS started strong, taking the first map 13-9 with standout performances from OLIZERA and penny, raising hopes for a much-needed victory. But the higher the hope, the harder the fall, and unfortunately for APEKS, the momentum didn’t last.
On the second map, KOI dominated APEKS with a commanding 13-4 win, led by an outstanding performance from nataNk. The final map showed some initial promise for APEKS, but it wasn’t enough; their fate was already sealed, and there was little they could do to turn things around. And with this loss, APEKS will play their last match against FNATIC on Aug. 14.
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