Aspas on his decision to re-sign with MIBR: "The best organization I've ever played for"

Every offseason, the future of Erick "aspas" Santos seems to be the talk of the town. As it turns out, though, MIBR was always aspas' priority when it came to deciding on his future for the coming competitive season of VALORANT. At least that is exactly what aspas himself had to say during an exclusive interview with THESPIKE Brazil.

The highly sought-after Brazilian Duelist stated that MIBR was the "best" organization he has ever been a part of, and that they shared the same vision: forming a team capable of lifting trophies in 2026.

“One thing that weighed a lot — to the point that I made MIBR my priority — was the fact that they [MIBR] were the best organization I’ve ever played for. They are a great organization. It was a pleasure being with them, so I made them my priority. And in the end I stayed with them, and I’m very happy with my decision. We talked a lot. We’re very aligned on many points. I wanted a team that could win, and I already knew MIBR. I know we share the same vision, and with the team we have for this next season, I think it’s a roster capable of bringing home more than one title."

Making a decision

During the interview, aspas confirmed that the construction of the new roster influenced his decision to remain with the team. That said, aspas also stated that MIBR as an organization has always treated him "very well," something which also played a major role in his decision.

“The formation of the team was a decisive factor, because I want to win. I want to win titles; something I always say and always look for. So I’m always putting in the effort. I really want to win [...] Something that really weighed heavily was the fact that they [MIBR] are a great organization. I was genuinely very happy with them throughout the entire year [2025], I was always treated very well. And they really were the best organization I’ve ever been in, so that weighed a lot in my decision as well."

What's interesting about how MIBR's new lineup came to be is that, according to the Brazilian player himself, many of his new teammates were interested in joining the team precisely because they would get to play with aspas; which is virtually one of the highest forms of flattery at the top level of competitive VALORANT.

“There was influence [from the ‘aspas factor’, yes]. That’s something that makes me very happy because it shows me that the work I’ve been doing is paying off. But even so, I want more. I think that this time, with this team for the next season, we’ll be able to show even more and chase more titles. Having good individual results is cool, but it’s not something that truly makes me happy because what I really want is to win titles.”

Exploring the complete VCT landscape

A free agent after the end of the previous season, aspas spoke with teams from “all regions” to explore his options. He revealed this himself, adding that MIBR was always ahead of all the competitors because of everything the organization had provided him throughout the year.

“There were talks with all regions, yes. During every offseason I end up talking because it’s always good to see your options, but MIBR was already a step ahead because, honestly, something that’s very important to me is feeling comfortable with the organization. If you’re happy, you’re going to perform better. Another thing was that we already shared aligned visions, we were thinking the same: both sides want to win. MIBR was already ahead of the other teams for me, in my opinion, and for my choice. But I did talk a bit with teams from all regions."

Chasing Titles in 2026... and 2027

Aspas also spoke about his expectations for the next competitive VALORANT season. In his view, the new MIBR is versatile and capable of surprising opponents with a wide range of flexible compositions. He also promised to continue improving and, of course, to chase titles with the organization in 2026.

“I think we’re going to be a very flexible, very versatile team. We can run countless different compositions, we can show many different things because all the players are very flexible. And that can even be a surprise factor because, if we want, we can change compositions to play against a specific team, and compositions are something that is very important in this game. Depending on what the other team is running and what you’re running, you might already be at an advantage or disadvantage. That’s an extra edge we’ll have. It’s something that really shows me how big this team’s potential is. It wouldn’t be a team that wins titles for just one year, it could win titles for two years. We could even go into future renewals because, honestly, the potential of this team is enormous.”

When it comes to his own role to play in the equation, aspas was quick to assure everyone that we're about to see "an even better aspas." That is, if such a thing is even possible.

“And about myself, I think people can expect an even better aspas. I’m going to keep improving, I’m going to keep giving my all, and I think with this new team, we can reach even greater heights and chase titles.”

Aside from aspas, whose contract extension has already been announced by MIBR, the Brazilian organization's new roster will be composed of Zachary "zekken" Patrone, Andrew "Verno" Maust, Ian "tex" Botsch and Roberto "Mazino" Rivas. The lineup will continue to be led by Danny "fRoD" Montaner as the team's Head Coach.

Aspas to undergo surgery

If you're an avid fan of VALORANT esports, you may have noticed MIBR's absence from offseason tournaments over the last couple of weeks. Now, aspas revealed there's a very good reason for that.

“Unfortunately, we weren’t able to play [the offseason]. We also haven’t started practicing because I’m going to have to undergo surgery. I thought it was something simple — it’s health-related — but after tests and a consultation with the doctor, we found out it was something more serious and that it couldn’t be pushed back.”

Naturally, the new MIBR lineup was eager to put their skills to the test against top-flight competition. Unfortunately for the team and its fans alike, however, the squad will not be participating in any offseason tournaments.

“It’s affecting the guys a little bit [his future MIBR teammates] because they wanted to be playing, and I wanted to be playing too, because I know how valuable that experience is before Kickoff. But since it’s something serious and can’t be postponed, unfortunately we won’t be participating in any off-season and we’ll take a little longer to start practicing.”

Though we'll have to wait to see the new MIBR roster in action, excitement for a team that seems built for title contention continues to rise as we inch closer to the start of the 2026 season of the VCT Americas.

The complete video interview with aspas in the original Portuguese can be found below:

For all things VCT-related, make sure to stay tuned to THESPIKE.GG as we continue to update you with the freshest game and esports news.

Featured Image Source: Riot Games