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The VALORANT esports scene has been shaken this week with Riot Games officially terminating Movistar KOI’s partnership in the VCT EMEA, forcing the Spanish organisation out of the league heading into the 2026 season.

Riot cited a breach of contractual obligations as the reason for KOI’s removal, claiming the team failed to meet requirements tied to their partnership. While Riot hasn’t gone into full detail publicly, multiple reports and statements have painted a messy picture of what led to the decision.

Riot Raises Concerns Over Contractual Breaches

According to a report from Sheep Esports, Riot had flagged shortcomings with KOI’s obligations several times throughout the 2024 season. These included failing to meet co-streaming hours that were unique to their partnership, as well as not replacing Ibai Llanos as the organisation’s main broadcast asset as required by their deal.

KOI’s merger with Movistar Riders and MAD Lions KOI in early 2024 reportedly complicated matters further, causing delays and administrative issues. Riot first issued a formal warning in January 2025, followed by another meeting in May with OverActive Media’s Chief Strategy Officer, Fernando Piquer, to address the concerns. Despite this, KOI claim they believed progress had been made and that their league spot was secure, especially after working closely with Riot on the 2026 bundle.

That belief crumbled when Riot called KOI into an emergency meeting on September 4, where the organisation was informed of its immediate removal from the VCT. The public announcement went live just two days later, reportedly without KOI being granted the chance to prepare a response.

KOI Disputes Riot’s Decision

KOI’s leadership has since spoken out. OverActive Media CEO Adam Adamou released a statement saying the organisation did provide alternatives when certain requirements couldn’t be met, at their own expense, and that these “performed well beyond expectations.” Adamou stressed that Riot had every right to make the decision but called it sudden and disagreed with the reasoning, insisting the dispute came down to “technical details in the contract.”

Co-founder and streamer Ibai Llanos also posted a 10-minute video, in which he expressed frustration at what he described as a lack of warning from Riot. He admitted to shortcomings such as underwhelming content, disappointing results, and low skin sales in 2025, but said he was willing to return to full-time broadcasting of matches to address the concerns, even offering to cover League of Legends events if needed. According to Ibai, that offer was dismissed outright.

Accusations of Favouritism

In addition to disputing Riot’s reasoning, Ibai suggested that the decision may have been influenced by outside factors. Speaking on stream, he claimed Riot “made up any excuse to kick a team out so Gentle Mates can regain their slot,” referencing the French team that was relegated earlier this year. While Riot has not commented on this allegation, the statement has sparked debate among fans about whether competitive or commercial considerations were at play.

Fallout for Players and Staff

The decision leaves KOI’s VALORANT division in limbo. Plans to completely rebuild the roster for 2026 under academy coach Kirian “Yaba” Martínez have been scrapped, and players including Ondřej “MONSTEERR” Petrů, Harry “Gorilla” Mepham, and Dom “soulcas” Sulcas were declared free agents as of September 6. Sheep Esports reported that Riot required KOI to release its players unconditionally, leaving their futures uncertain.

KOI’s exit ends a project that began back in 2022 and was expected to continue with a fresh rebuild. Despite never reaching playoffs in any VCT EMEA event, the team had become a fan-favourite brand thanks to its ties with Ibai and rapid growth in the Spanish esports scene.

KOI Looks to the Future

In his farewell message, Adamou thanked Riot and the community, stressing that KOI’s journey in esports is far from over. “KOI is one of the fastest growing organisations in esports,” he wrote. “Our story in VALORANT ends here, but our journey together continues.”

For Riot, the focus now turns to finding a replacement team to fill the vacant slot in the VCT EMEA for 2026. As of now, no successor has been announced.

Fans will be watching closely to see who steps into KOI’s place, and what the organisation itself does next after being cut from one of the biggest esports leagues in the world.