Top 5 rookies to look out for in the VCT 2026 season

The 2025 offseason has been a whirlwind, with shock transfers and exciting rosters emerging from all four regions of the VCT ecosystem. Every season, Tier 1 teams welcome the addition of up-and-coming young talents that shine bright in Tier 2, with the start of 2026 being no different. From academy promotions to Ascension winners, here are the top 5 rookies to look out for in the VCT 2026 season.

Reduxx: the future of Sentinels?

Yassine "Reduxx" Aboulalazm has been a name in the North American Tier 2 system for years, even prior to the partnership system in 2023. Primarily competing on Oxygen Esports for most of his career, he was known for his explosive Duelist play and proficiency with the Operator. His raw talent was recognised at the Tier 1 level to such an extent that Sentinels signed him last year when he was not even eligible to play at the start of the season, since he had not turned eighteen yet.

Now that Reduxx is finally eligible to play in VCT, Sentinels have brought him onto the starting roster after his time on Cubert Academy.

Star player Zachary "zekken" Patrone’s departure from the team was a massive blow, and while Marshall "N4RRATE" Massey is technically switching roles to replace him as Duelist, Reduxx is primed to become that missing X-factor. His main role on smokes will bring just that, with his Chamber and Yoru play during Sentinels’ offseason tournaments being extremely solid too.

One of the main questions surrounding Sentinels’ rebuild is whether Reduxx can live up to the hype: if he can, the team would certainly be strong contenders for a spot at an international event.

Neon: standing out on a team of young sharpshooters

Leviatán are looking like the dark horse team in Americas. The Latin American organisation has been fielding star-studded all-American rosters for the past two years, but have opted for a younger, South American squad this season. While every member of the new Leviatán is an absolute sharpshooter, Bruno "Neon" Rodríguez, one of the two players promoted from Leviatán Academy, stands out as a rookie to watch out for this year.

The squad’s debut at the Partner Series - China Esports Festival Super Champions Cup 2025 saw Neon put up masterclass after masterclass, especially on Chamber, having the highest K:D of the tournament at 1.53 and the second highest ACS at 249.6 which helped Leviatán achieve a flawless victory.

Although Neon will not be eighteen by the start of VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 - Americas Kickoff, he will become eligible to play after Leviatán’s early matches. Should the team find success over the course of VCT 2026, Neon will certainly be an important reason for it.

Sayonara: the young prodigy

Ștefan "Sayonara" Mîtcu is often considered “the future of EMEA”. Similar to Reduxx, the young prodigy was scouted by several tier 1 teams even before his eighteenth birthday, and ended up joining Team Vitality last year whilst still underage, keeping him on the bench until the 2026 season.

The Moldovan player is most recognised for his raw talent, breaking out in VCL 2024 - Spain: Rising Split 1, by becoming the youngest winner and MVP in the league’s history. He frags out heavy on every agent he picks up, whether it be Duelist or Initiator.

For the 2026 season, Sayonara will join forces with the legendary Nikita "Derke" Sirmitev and Timofey "Chronicle" Khromov, whilst operating under a system from last year’s BBL Esports with Elias "Jamppi" Olkkonen as IGL and Gregor "PAL" Morton as Head Coach. Both the veteran experience and solid structure that should emanate from this team will allow Sayonara to go all out in his debut year and live up to his reputation.

Like Neon, Sayonara will not be eighteen at the start of VALORANT Champions Tour 2026 - EMEA Kickoff, only becoming eligible to play in March. For Kickoff and Masters Santiago, should the team qualify, a familiar face in Bartosz "UNFAKE" Bernacki will stand in for Sayonara.

lovers rock: hungry to prove himself at the Tier 1 level

BBL Esports are one of the most interesting squads coming into VCT EMEA 2026. Picking up the entirety of the Ascension winning BBL PCIFIC roster (now PCIFIC Esports), this invigorated lineup of young Turkish talents is spearheaded by Duelist Umut "lovers rock" Pekdoğan.

The BBL PCIFIC squad has been grinding it out in Tier 2 for the past two years, making it all the way to the Grand Final of VCT 2024 - Ascension: EMEA and winning out in 2025, developing exceptional players like Utku "Loita" Kart and Ali "Crewen" Eren Sargın. Yet lovers rock is the most interesting of the bunch, only joining the team halfway through last year’s season when former Star Duelist Berkcan "ComeBack" Şentürk departed to compete with Gentle Mates in VALORANT Champions Tour 2025 - EMEA Stage 2. ComeBack was the biggest talent on the team at the time, so the loss of such a player definitely hurt the squad’s Ascension prospects. Instead, lovers rock slotted right in on Duelist and was instrumental in the team’s continuation of their form throughout the rest of the season.

lovers rock embodies the confident nature of the team: despite being fresh faces to the league, the Turkish youngsters are sure that they can challenge anyone. The performances he was putting up in Tier 2 were indeed impressive, but stacking up to exceptional Duelists like Derke and Kajetan "kaajak" Haremski will be compelling to follow.

Leviathan: a new addition to VCT’s Thai representatives

A dramatic event in the offseason involved Thai-representative TALON’s removal from VCT Pacific entirely due to their lack of financial and operational standards that was expected in the league. Fortunately for the TALON players, they were able to find a home weeks later on another Thai organisation, FULL SENSE, who would be replacing TALON’s spot in the league.

While all five players were retained, it was decided that long-time IGL Thanamethk "Crws" Mahatthananuyut would be moving over to the Coach position while former FULL SENSE player Thanyathon "Leviathan" Nakmee would be taking his spot on the team. Having been competing in the Southeast Asian Challengers circuit with FULL SENSE since 2023, the new Thai addition brings extra firepower and agent flexibility to the team, being proficient on almost every support role. It is likely that Jittana "JitBoyS" Nokngam will be taking on the reins of IGL, allowing Leviathan to get comfortable and perform to his potential.

Last season, TALON were rounds away from making VALORANT Champions Tour 2025 - Valorant Champions. With new blood on the team and Crws’ veteran presence in the coaching booth, FULL SENSE look to fight for an international appearance this season.

With the start of the season being days away, make sure to pay attention to these five players who are poised to do some serious damage in their respective leagues, and perhaps even on the international stage.

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