Top 3 most improved teams of Stage 1: Who leveled up the most?

With half of the 2026 season almost over, it’s time to look at the progression of the teams. Which teams are heading in the right direction and improving? Which teams have found their identity and who has improved after clutch roster moves? To get a good look at how the teams are doing, we're taking a look at their improvement from Kickoff to Stage 1. Here are three teams that have massively improved since the start of the year.

Team Heretics

One team that looked completely lost during VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 - EMEA Kickoff was Team Heretics. Out of five matches, they only won two, ultimately finishing in sixth place and missing out on a spot at VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 - Masters Santiago 2026. Going into VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 - EMEA Stage 1, things weren’t looking much better for Heretics. Their first match against Natus Vincere ended in a loss and resulted in a major roster change. Berkcan "ComeBack" Şentürk left the team, and Martynas "Koshmaras" Namikas was brought in just a couple of days before their next match.

Making a roster move like that in the middle of a stage seemed crazy, and their next loss against Team Liquid didn’t make things look any better. However, with time, Koshmaras moved away from ComeBack’s previous role and instead started playing Neon, his signature agent. The tides quickly turned for Heretics, and they made it out of the group stage. In the playoffs, Heretics were immediately sent down to the lower bracket, but the pressure only seemed to push them further.

In the lower bracket, Heretics eliminated every team they faced, including Fnatic and Eternal Fire in a rematch. They climbed all the way to the grand final. Even after playing the maximum number of matches possible in the playoffs, Heretics didn’t burn out and took down Team Vitality for the regional title. They went from sixth place in Kickoff to Stage 1 Champions and secured a spot at VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 - Masters London 2026. If that’s not insane improvement, what is?

The standout players throughout their run were Enes "RieNs" Ecirli, constantly clutching impossible rounds, and Benjy "benjyfishy" David Fish, who truly came alive and hit some unbelievable shots. The shocking addition of Koshmaras also paid off in the end, as he stepped up whenever the team needed him most.

Leviatán

From the Americas region, several teams have stepped up their game since VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 - Americas Kickoff. One of them is Leviatán. During Kickoff, LEV finished in 7th–8th place after losing three out of five matches. For VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 - Americas Stage 1, LEV stuck with the same roster but came in with fresh energy. Many teams talk about finding their identity throughout the season, and LEV finally seems to have found theirs.

They started Stage 1 with two huge wins, including one against one of the strongest teams in the Americas, G2 Esports. They also secured a playoff spot after taking down ENVY. In the playoffs, LEV faced tough competition immediately, matching up against FURIA and MIBR. In both series, LEV came out on top and is now guaranteed a top-three finish in the Americas.

Not only are they top three in their region, but they will also make their first global appearance since 2024. By defeating MIBR, LEV secured a ticket to Masters London, which marks a massive improvement not only compared to Kickoff, but compared to their entire 2025 season.

The standout players over the last few months have been Bruno "Neon" Rodríguez and Rodrigo "spikeziN" Lombardi, both of whom have become absolute fragging machines. But when you watch LEV, it’s clear that this is a complete team effort, with every player fitting perfectly into the system and making it work.

The finals weekend in the Americas will determine whether LEV can become regional champions and what their seeding for Masters London will look like.

Full sense

In the Pacific region, FULL SENSE has shown the biggest improvement of any team. 2026 is FS’s first-ever VCT season after taking over TALON’s spot during the 2025 offseason, and they are already putting on a show for the fans.

With VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 - Pacific Kickoff being their first-ever tournament on stage, things went about as expected. They won two out of four matches and finished in 7th–8th place. In all but one match, Papaphat "Primmie" Sriprapha was carrying the load, trying his hardest to qualify his team for Masters Santiago. While it wasn’t enough, it gave FS more time to prepare for the next stage. Right before their first VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 - Pacific Stage 1 match, FS announced that their head coach and well-known Thai player Thanamethk "Crws" Mahatthananuyut would join the main roster, stepping away from the coaching staff.

The preparation and roster move paid off immediately, as FS started with a 3-0 record in Group Omega, taking down DetonatioN FocusMe, ZETA DIVISION, and VARREL. Finishing the group stage with a 3-2 record earned them a spot in the upper bracket, where they continued to show their growth. They steamrolled team after team without dropping a single map, making it all the way to the grand final. This kind of performance from a rookie team is insane to witness. The only match they couldn’t close out was the grand final against Paper Rex, where they fell 0-3.

Primmie already showed flashes of brilliance during Kickoff, but he truly dominated in Stage 1, finishing as the highest-rated player at the event. The addition of Crws to the starting roster also gave FS much-needed stability and leadership.

FS will now represent the Pacific region at Masters London alongside Global Esports and PRX.

Honorable mentions

These were the three teams that stood out the most when comparing performances and placements between Kickoff and Stage 1. But of course, there are other teams worth mentioning, including KRÜ Esports, Global Esports, FUT Esports, and Team Vitality, all of which have massively stepped up over the last few weeks.

As some teams rise to the top, others fall to the bottom. Which teams have had the most disappointing journey in 2026 so far? Keep an eye on THESPIKE.GG to find out.

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