Mindfreak returns as Weibo Gaming confirm roster for 2026

After two years away from the competitive VALORANT scene, Team Weibo have officially confirmed their complete roster for the 2026 season. The Chinese organisation will be competing in the Challenger League, marking a full-circle moment for a team that was once a staple of tier-2 competition in China before briefly stepping up to VCT CN in 2023.

Tier-2 competition is not unfamiliar territory for Weibo Gaming. Before their run in VCT CN 2023, they had already been grinding through China's domestic circuit. Following the conclusion of that season, the org disbanded their roster entirely, with players scattering to other teams, and remained absent from the VALORANT scene throughout 2024 and 2025. Two seasons later, Weibo are back.

The Roster

Weibo Gaming's confirmed lineup for 2026 is as follows:

• Fei "Satoshi" Zhixian
• chenze
• Yi "XiaoFei" Zhang
• Aaron "mindfreak" Leonhart
• Liu "Panda" Jinyuan
• Hsu "Yoyo" Yuh-siang
• Cha "AcMe" Il-hwan
• Ji "meow" Dong-jun (Head Coach)
• Veolante (Assistant Coach)

mindfreak's Return

The headline name on this roster is undoubtedly Aaron "mindfreak" Leonhart. The former Paper Rex star was one of the defining figures of VCT Pacific's early era, helping build PRX's reputation for their trademark relentless "W-gaming" that captivated fans worldwide. After being benched by Paper Rex in the 2025 season, mindfreak was given the opportunity to explore his options elsewhere.

Rumours of a Weibo Gaming trial had been circulating for some time, and now those rumours have been firmly put to rest. Seeing him make his competitive return in China's tier-2 scene is a surprise move, but one that instantly gives Weibo Gaming a name worth watching.

Building Around Experience

The rest of the roster is built around players with meaningful experience in China's domestic circuit. Satoshi arrives from Wolves Esports, having previously been part of Rare Atom's squad that finished runners-up at VALORANT Champions Tour 2025 - Ascension China 2025.

Chenze comes from Zhu Chao Gaming, where he competed in that same Ascension tournament alongside AcMe, a Korean journeyman who has played across both the South Korean and Chinese tier-2 circuits.

XiaoFei brings depth to the controller lineup, having featured for Night Wings Gaming at VCT 2023 - VALORANT China Ascension 2023. Yoyo joins from TYLOO, giving Weibo one of their few players with direct VCT experience, having competed in VALORANT Champions Tour 2025 - China Stage 2 where the team placed 5th-6th.

Right now, Weibo is fielding a 7-man roster, meaning two of these players will be moved to a substitute role. However, at the time of writing, it has not been confirmed which two players will be sidelined and which five will count as the main roster.

Eyes on Nationals and Beyond

Following Riot Games' decision to discontinue Ascension in 2026, Tencent confirmed that the top two teams from the CN Nationals 2025-26 season will earn spots in the VCT China League Stage 2 Playoffs, competing alongside established VCT sides for a path to VALORANT Champions. That pipeline is almost certainly Weibo Gaming's primary objective this season. Whether this rebuilt roster can deliver on that ambition remains to be seen, but their return with mindfreak has already made headlines.

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Featured Image Source: Riot Games