A Storied Journey Comes to an End

North American esports giant TSM has officially announced its departure from VALORANT, marking the end of a five-year chapter in Riot Games’ tactical shooter. The organisation confirmed the news on social media, following a strong run in 2025 that culminated in a VCT Ascension Americas Grand Finals appearance.

In the statement, TSM reflected on its long history with the title, writing, “After half a decade in VALORANT, we plan on exiting the space with no immediate return in sight.” The post also thanked Riot Games, past players, and fans who supported the black-and-white banner throughout its journey.

From Early Glory to the Challengers Grind

TSM entered the VALORANT scene in 2020, just as the game began taking off as one of the most competitive shooters in the world. The organisation’s first roster quickly gained attention with WARDELL and Subroza leading the charge, securing a runner-up finish at First Strike: North America.

However, the years that followed proved difficult. Despite early momentum, TSM struggled to break into the top tier of North American competition, often falling short against powerhouses like Sentinels, 100 Thieves, and ENVY.

By 2023, the team temporarily withdrew from the scene before returning ahead of the 2024 season with renewed energy. The comeback led to a remarkable resurgence, highlighted by a VALORANT Challengers North America Stage 3 title and back-to-back Ascension Americas appearances in 2024 and 2025.

Their 2025 campaign ended with a second-place finish at the Ascension Grand Finals on October 26th, earning the team $22,000 (approx. £18,100).

TSM’s Final Roster and Tier 2 Efforts

In their final competitive season, TSM fielded a promising roster featuring:

• Jordan “vora” Pulwer
• Johann “seven” Hernandez
• Anthony “gMd” Guimond
• Timothée “Timotino” Lavigne Dupont (Stand-in)
• Alvin “alvinboy” Hong (Stand-in)
• Laurynas “Nbs” Kisielius (Head Coach)

The team consistently performed in the VALORANT Challengers circuit, embodying TSM’s long-standing goal of developing young talent and competing for promotion to Tier 1.

“Throughout the last three years we have continuously navigated the Challengers circuit in the hopes of finally reaching Tier 1,” TSM wrote. “We improved gradually, year over year, culminating in an Ascension Grand Finals berth in 2025.”

A Changing VALORANT Landscape

TSM’s exit comes at a time when Riot Games is restructuring the Tier 2 ecosystem, adding new promotion and relegation mechanics and expanding the Game Changers pathway for women and marginalised genders.

While these changes aim to create a healthier long-term system, they’ve also placed financial and logistical strain on organisations competing outside the main VCT partnership leagues. Several teams have scaled back or paused participation in Challengers, while others have doubled down on investments, betting on future promotion opportunities.

TSM acknowledged Riot’s ongoing efforts, stating, “We would like to thank Riot for their continued attempts to restructure the Tier 2 ecosystem for the better, and for creating a game we all love.”

Community Reaction and Legacy

The VALORANT community was quick to respond to TSM’s announcement. Long-time fans expressed heartbreak and nostalgia, recalling the early rivalries between TSM and 100 Thieves that helped define North American VALORANT’s formative years.

“GG TSM! Hopefully you’ll be back soon,” one fan wrote, while others reminisced about iconic plays and players like WARDELL and Subroza. Some even speculated about potential future moves for the roster’s current members, suggesting they could be picked up by other top-tier teams such as 100 Thieves.

Despite the farewell, many fans believe this might not be the end of TSM’s presence in VALORANT. As one comment put it, “See you in 26/27.”

What’s Next for TSM

While leaving VALORANT, TSM remains active across other major esports, including Apex Legends, Halo, and Rocket League. The organisation has also been expanding into new ventures and collaborations, from anime partnerships like Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood to exploring new titles such as The Finals.

For now, TSM’s departure marks the end of an era for one of North America’s most recognisable brands in VALORANT. But given its track record and history of comebacks, few would be surprised if the black-and-white logo makes a return in the years ahead.

The post TSM Exits VALORANT After Five-Year Run and Ascension Grand Finals Finish appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

A Farewell to the VALORANT Stage

After three years of competing in VALORANT, Norwegian esports organisation Apeks has officially announced a pause on its operations in the game. The decision follows a tough 2025 season that saw the team relegated from VCT EMEA and miss out on all major events, including VALORANT Champions in Paris.

In an emotional statement shared across social media, Apeks thanked its players, staff, and fans for their support throughout the years.

Dear fans… pic.twitter.com/typSoSaSIx

— Apeks VALORANT (@ApeksValorant) October 14, 2025

But despite the heartfelt farewell, the announcement also revealed deeper frustrations with Riot Games’ competitive system, particularly a rule change that many fans believe disrupted the balance for Ascension teams.

Riot’s Rule Change and the Financial Fallout

According to Apeks, the organisation’s investment in VALORANT was based on the promise of a two-year spot in the VCT International League for Ascension winners. However, in 2024, Riot reduced that guaranteed period to just one year, with possible extensions based on performance.

By the time the change was announced, Apeks had already committed its resources under the original terms. “This resulted in a significant budget reduction heading into VCT and fundamentally changed what we had planned for the 2025 season,” the team explained.

While the organisation expressed confidence that it could rebuild a strong VCL roster, the altered system “no longer aligns with the conditions that initially led [them] to invest in the space.”

From Ascension Glory to VCT Struggles

Apeks entered VALORANT in early 2023, joining the Challengers Northern Europe circuit with a powerhouse lineup featuring keiko, MAGNUM, Enzo, Mistic, and ShadoW. They dominated their region, losing only twice all year, but narrowly missed promotion to the International League.

In 2024, Apeks returned stronger than ever with a refreshed lineup of kaajak, soulcas, MOLSI, AvovA, and hype. This roster went on to make history by winning VCT EMEA Ascension 2024, earning the organisation its long-awaited spot in the top-tier league.

However, 2025 was far less kind. Despite high expectations, Apeks failed to secure a single win throughout the VCT EMEA season and ended the year relegated, with all players later announcing their free agency.

The Community Reacts

The VALORANT community reacted to the news with a mix of sadness and frustration. Former players and fans flooded social media with tributes, recalling the team’s emotional Ascension victory and memorable runs in the Challengers scene.

“From the highest high to the lowest low, we made history with winning Ascension and getting 0 wins in VCT,” said AvovA, one of the team’s key players. Fellow teammate soulcas echoed the sentiment, writing, “It was a pleasure to win Ascension with you guys. You’ll be missed.”

Even rival teams and casters, including Tombizz and Metizport, shared their respect, calling Apeks “one of the scariest teams to face in Ascension.”

What’s Next for Apeks?

While Apeks has stepped away from VALORANT for now, the organisation hinted that this may not be a permanent exit. “We hope to return at a later point,” they said, leaving the door open for a potential comeback if Riot’s competitive structure evolves in the coming years.

For now, fans will have to say goodbye to one of the most resilient stories in VALORANT esports, a team that rose from the regional circuit to international play, only to be undone by shifting rules and an unforgiving system.

The post Apeks Pauses Out of VALORANT After Three Years, Citing Riot’s System Changes appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

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.

pic.twitter.com/2SQqTLpF53

— VALORANT Esports EMEA (@valesports_emea) October 3, 2025

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.

Official Statement⚠️ pic.twitter.com/WgrjpsUoKs

— RA’AD⚡👑 (@TEAMRAAD) October 3, 2025

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.

i’m just speechless
playing for an entire year months away from my family chasing my dream and then something completely out of my hand fcks everything we were dreaming of as a players, we cant even play orgless or play under anther org.
الحمدلله علي كل شئ https://t.co/hDzVJLzPam

— Shniider (@Shniider) October 3, 2025

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.”

My friends hard work for 3 years straight basically went on the ground, and they lost the spot of the most important tournament of their lives, please give them a tryout and they won’t disappoint, there is alot of hidden gems in MENA, open your eyes https://t.co/O9KecQ0Nod

— KC avez (@AvezValo) October 3, 2025

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.

The post Team RAAD Dropped from VCT EMEA Ascension, Joblife Steps In as Fans Call Decision “Unfair” appeared first on Shane the Gamer.