Sayonara reportedly to join Team Vitality for 2026 season

Team Vitality has taken a proactive step in securing its future by reportedly signing Ștefan "Sayonara" Mîtcu, one of the most promising young talents in European VALORANT.

According to sources from Sheep Esports, the French organization has reached an agreement with the 17-year-old Moldovan player. However, due to age restrictions, he remains ineligible to compete in the VCT EMEA until next season.

As a result, Sayonara will continue to develop his skills on loan with French Challengers League team DVM until he can officially join the VCT EMEA roster.

A Rising Star with Exceptional Stats

Sayonara’s signing is a strategic move despite Vitality's recent success. The team won the VALORANT Champions Tour 2025 - EMEA Kickoff event in February and later represented the region at VALORANT Champions Tour 2025 - Masters Bangkok 2025, where they were eliminated in the semifinals by G2 Esports. However, Sayonara’s performance in the lower tiers of competitive VALORANT has made him a highly sought-after player.

The young Initiator and Duelist first gained attention in 2024 in the Spanish Challengers League, winning VCL 2024 - Spain: Rising Split 1 with KPI Gaming in his debut season. Not only did he become the youngest-ever VCL Spain champion and MVP, but he also posted remarkable individual stats.

Following the Path of Fnatic and Vitality’s Other Investments

Sayonara’s potential was evident to top-tier organizations, leading Fnatic to sign him for off-season tournaments in 2024. However, knowing he would remain ineligible for VCT EMEA 2025, he switched to the French Challengers League with DVM. Despite not winning the title, Sayonara dominated the individual leaderboards once again.

Vitality’s decision to sign him well in advance is not unprecedented. The organization has previously invested in talent that required time before officially joining the roster. In League of Legends, they signed Yang-Bo “Bo” Zhou in 2022 while he was serving a suspension, and in Rocket League, Alexis “zen” Bernier joined in 2022 but had to wait until May 2023 to compete.

However, it is still unknown who the young talent will replace on the main roster. Or, like T1, Vitality would continue with a 6-man roster. But all that still remains to be seen.

With Sayonara now secured, Team Vitality is preparing for the future, ensuring they have one of Europe’s brightest prospects ready to make an impact in the VCT EMEA next year.

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Featured Image Source: Fnatic/@FNATIC on X