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Just two weeks before the start of the 2025 VCT EMEA Ascension tournament, Riot Games has announced that Egyptian organisation Team RA’AD has been removed from the event due to non-compliance with team ownership policies. Their spot will now be filled by Joblife, the next eligible team based on Ascension Points.

Team RA’AD Responds

Team RA’AD addressed the situation shortly after, expressing disappointment while maintaining that the decision came down to policy disagreements rather than lack of preparation.

For RA’AD, this decision cuts short what had been a strong year. The Egyptian side earned their Ascension qualification through wins at MENA Resilience North Africa and Levant Split 1 and 2, even after narrowly missing out on EMEA Stage 3. This would have been their second Ascension appearance, after first competing in 2023.

Joblife Joins the Ascension Lineup

Meanwhile, Joblife, a French organisation with experience at the VCT level, will take RA’AD’s place. The roster includes two players currently on loan from partnered VCT teams and will open their group stage against Turkey’s ULF Esports, alongside Enterprise Esports from Poland and DNSTY from Italy.

This year’s EMEA Ascension will feature eight teams, divided into two Champions-style groups, with the top squads advancing to the playoffs.

Community Reactions

The decision has sparked major backlash online. Players, coaches, and fans across regions criticised Riot for removing RA’AD so close to the tournament’s start.

RA’AD player Shniider wrote on X.

Other figures echoed similar frustration, arguing that players shouldn’t be punished for their organisation’s issues.

“RA’AD as an organisation is terrible, but don’t punish the players,” one community post read. “Let them play under a different organisation. It’s not fair to the players and the staff.”

Still, not everyone agreed. Some fans defended Riot’s decision, pointing to ongoing concerns around MENA circuit integrity and inflated points systems. Others bluntly celebrated the swap, saying “W, all is right in the end,” and “Joblife is ascending my guy. Something MENA will never achieve.”

Regardless of where fans stand, the situation has reignited debate about regional balance and policy enforcement within Riot’s Ascension system, and whether last-minute disqualifications like this hurt competitive integrity more than they help it.