Apeks has been officially relegated from the VALORANT Champions Tour after finishing last in the Group Stage in VCT EMEA Stage 2. Their competitive journey in the top tier is over for now.
Next year, the group will take part in VALORANT’s second-tier competition, the Challengers League. In 2025, Ascension will not allow Apeks to play for immediate promotion as in other scenarios.
As per a statement on social media, Apeks labelled the whole situation as “an absolute nightmare”. They confirmed their exit from VALORANT Esports EMEA. At the same time, they thanked everyone who supported them in course of their journey.
Stage 2 Struggles Against EMEA Powerhouses
Apeks faced some tough competition in EMEA Stage2, beginning the competition with NAVI. 16th July saw them lose 2-1 to NAVI. On July 23, they lost 2-1 again, this time to Karmine Corp.
On 31 July, the team had its third match against Team Liquid, where they again lost 2-1. On 6 August 2025, the team suffered a 2-1 defeat against Movistar KOI in their last match of VALORANT’s top game league, confirming their relegation.
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Understanding the Relegation System
As a result of their performance in the EMEA Stage 2, Apeks is going to miss out on this year’s Ascension tournament as they move from the main league to Challengers.
In July, Riot Games executed an overhaul of the Ascension and Challengers Leagues structural changes to put the spotlight on performance. According to the rules laid down, Ascension teams who are promoted can extend their VCT contracts by qualifying for VALORANT Champions, while teams qualifying for Stage 2 Playoffs can earn a chance to qualify via Ascension.
For Apeks, the rules are simple: not making it to the Stage 2 Playoffs gets you automatically relegated to the Challenger. This allows new Ascension teams to enter the VCT.
A Challenging 2024 Campaign
Even though Apeks is rotating to VALORANT in 2024, they have faced lots of trouble in VCT competition this year, getting knocked out early on in each season.
They finished in 12th place in the VCT 2025 EMEA Kickoff after losing in the Upper Brackets to Gentle Mates and suffering elimination at the hands of Team Liquid in the Lower Brackets. 1-2 was the score.
In EMEA Stage 1, the side finished 11th overall. They managed to go 0-5 in the group stage and ended up last in their group.
The Esports World Cup EMEA Qualifier was no better, as Apeks came in ninth after losing in the Upper Bracket Quarterfinals to FUT Esports and ultimately getting eliminated by GIANTX 0-2 in the Lower Brackets.