koalanoob and FURIA reach verbal agreement for the 2026 VCT season

It looks like FURIA will no longer be fielding a fully Brazilian lineup. After reaching a verbal agreement with artzin, THESPIKE Brazil reports that the organization is also close to finalizing a deal with the former Natus Vincere player Gianfranco "koalanoob" Potestio for the 2026 VCT season.

According to this report, koalanoob has been participating in tryouts with FURIA for months following his release from NAVI back in June of this year, though a verbal agreement was only reached during these past few days.

Where does koalanoob fit with FURIA?

The biggest question regarding the move will be koalanoob's role in FURIA, which seems to be largely dependent on the players the organization is able to acquire throughout the remainder of the offseason. At the moment, the team's lineup looks to include Arthur "artzin" Araujo and Luis "basic" Henrique; two players that should have their spot on the team guaranteed through 2026.

koalanoob has found himself without a team since his release from NAVI after the team's 5h-6th place finish at the VALORANT Champions Tour 2025 - EMEA Stage 1. During his time in the VCT EMEA in 2025, koalanoob demonstrated his ability to perform on Duelists and Controllers alike. This flexibility no doubt played a big part in FURIA's decision to bring the Canadian player in as they continue to finalize the roster.

After a mixed first year in the VCT over in EMEA, koalanoob will now return to the Americas ready to make a name for himself in the very region that saw him grind through the Tier-2 scene for years prior to his VCT debut in 2025.

It's worth noting that FURIA has been running tryouts with players from North America and EMEA for several months now, as the team is set on fielding an international roster in the coming season. Whether this will prove to be the right play for a team that is in desperate need of a rebuild, though, remains to be seen.

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Featured image credit: Wojciech Wandzel/Riot Games