After months of close calls, emergency substitutions, and off-server drama, Apeks have officially dropped out of the Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) EMEA after losing 1-2 to Movistar KOI in Stage 2.

The team now holds a 0-11 record for the 2025 season, and with just one match left, they are unable to move off the bottom.

This disappointing run marks the end of the organization’s time in the partner league. Under the new VCT format, Ascension teams that fail to make the playoffs are automatically relegated back to the Challengers League for the following year – a change that now applies to Apeks.

Roster Chaos Costs Apeks Dearly

Apeks entered the year riding the momentum of their 2024 Ascension run, which earned them a spot amongst Europe’s elite.

That winning roster featured Kajetan “kaajak” Haremski, who has since emerged as one of the best players internationally, now representing Fnatic. After their promotion, Apeks transferred kaajak and brought in Ava “florescent” Eugene as a high-profile replacement.

Despite the hype surrounding the roster, Apeks’ debut at the 2025 Kickoff event started with disaster. Due to last-minute complications before their first match, Apeks had to field Chad “oderus” Miller, one of their coaches, as a substitute, which heavily disrupted their preparations.

Not long after, their situation worsened when florescent, the team’s star player, abruptly left the roster following a wave of behind-the-scenes controversy. The departure left Apeks little room to recover, especially with such a stacked EMEA field.

Apeks Were Competitive, but Never Clutch

Despite all of the roster issues, Apeks weren’t necessarily blowout material. Several of their losses stretched to three maps, where they were able to take maps off top competition such as Team Liquid, Team Heretics, and Karmine Corp.

They gave Europe’s best teams a scare, but they simply couldn’t convert pressure into wins.

The squad’s inability to close matches ultimately defined the rest of their season. Regardless of their result in the final game against Fnatic next week, they cannot qualify for the playoffs.

Relegated from VCT, No Second Chance

Previously, Ascension teams had a guaranteed two-year stay in the franchising league.

However, under the new 2025 system, this rule is no longer in effect. Instead, performance determines whether teams stay in the league or return to Challengers:

• Make Champions: Stay for another year
• Finish Top 8: Have a chance to defend their slot in Ascension
• Miss Playoffs: Automatically relegated to Challengers

With no mathematical path into the playoffs, Apeks fall into the final category and must wait until next year to have a crack at reclaiming their slot.

One More Chance to Salvage Pride

Although their fate is sealed, Apeks still have one final match left to play – a reunion with their former teammate kaajak, now on Fnatic, one of the best teams in the world. It won’t affect the standings, but it still carries weight.

A loss here would drop Apeks to 0-12, meaning not a single series win in their entire VCT run. For a team that showed heart despite all the adversity thrown at them, a final win here would at least salvage some pride.