Team Vitality part ways with Derke after Champions 2026 runner-up finish

After two seasons with Team Vitality, Nikita "Derke" Sirmitev is leaving the French organization. Despite winning the VALORANT Champions Tour 2025 - EMEA Kickoff in their first season, the team struggled to maintain that success, most recently finishing as runners-up at VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 - Champions Shanghai and missing out on their first-ever Champions title.

Derke leaves Team Vitality

After a highly successful stint with Fnatic, where he won two regional and two international titles, Derke moved on to a new chapter in his career, joining Vitality. Derke quickly proved his worth on the international stage, helping Vitality secure their first-ever VCT EMEA title. He also led the team to their first Masters appearance, where they finished in fourth place.

For the rest of 2025, however, Vitality struggled to find their footing. It was only in 2026, following the signing of their "superteam" roster, that the French organization began to show its firepower again.

Although they fell short of winning a title, Vitality reached their first-ever Champions Grand Final, securing their best finish in the tournament's history and marking a major milestone for the team.

On October 24, Team Vitality announced that Derke would be leaving the organization ahead of the 2027 season. Alongside a heartfelt farewell video on X, Team Vitality wished Derke the best of luck as he moves on to the next chapter of his career.

The player who helped shape Vitality's legacy. You brought us our first VCT trophy, took us to our first Champions Grand Finals, and never stopped fighting for more. Thank you Derke. We will always remember your time as a bee.

With the French organization securing its place as a VCT partner team, the departure signals potential roster changes as Vitality prepares for the upcoming competitive season.

What’s next for Derke?

Derke’s next destination remains uncertain ahead of the 2027 season. In a post on X, the Finnish player reflected on his time with the French organization, expressing his happiness at having played for Vitality and reaching the Champions 2026 Grand Final, marking his first appearance in a Champions final.

Very grateful for my time here and I wish I could've succeeded more with this team. I'm very thankful especially to Neo, staff members and all the players I've played with and to the passionate fans who cheered me up, celebrated wins together and sometimes also gave some tough but needed words. Happy that we got to play at the biggest stage and get so far at Champions. It was a very nice experience and privilege to play under this name and logo.

The offseason transfer window opens on November 2, allowing teams to negotiate with Derke ahead of the 2027 season. With an impressive trophy cabinet and years of experience as one of the world's top Duelists, Derke is likely to attract interest from several organizations as he looks for his next opportunity.

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Featured Image by Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games