North American esports organization ENVY has achieved a remarkable milestone by clinching victory in the VCT Ascension Americas 2025 Grand Final, thus securing their place in the 2026 VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT). This triumph marks a significant comeback for the team, re-establishing their presence in the esports scene following their re-acquisition by Mike ‘Hastr0’ Rufail earlier this year.
ENVY’s Ascension to VCT 2026
ENVY’s journey through the VCT Ascension Americas was nothing short of spectacular. The team started strong in the Swiss Stage with a clean 2-0 win against 9z Team but faced a setback with a 1-2 loss to TSM. However, they bounced back by defeating Stellae Gaming 2-1 to stay in the competition. Their playoff run was impressive, with victories over Team Solid and TSM, eventually leading to a rematch in the Grand Final. The final series against TSM saw ENVY dominate on the maps Bind and Ascent, securing a 3-1 overall victory. The win not only avenged their earlier loss but also secured their spot in the VCT 2026.
Who Are the Other VCT Ascension Teams?
With the conclusion of all VCT Ascension 2025 tournaments, the stage is set for a series of new challengers in the 2026 VCT season. Joining the ranks alongside ENVY are ULF Esports and BBL PCFIC from VCT EMEA, SLT Seongnam and Nongshim Redforce from VCT Pacific, and Dragon Ranger Gaming from VCT China. Fans will eagerly await the annual Kickoff competitions in January to see how these new teams perform against VCT’s partner teams.
ENVY’s incredible performance in the tournament was highlighted by standout plays from Alex ‘canezerra’ Banyasz, who delivered an outstanding KDA of 77/65/26 and 167 average damage per round. However, despite their success, both canezerra and Ayan ‘ion2x’ Rastogi will not be eligible to compete in the next tier of VALORANT, as they are underage for the franchised tier-one circuit. Canezerra will join in March next year, while ion2x will have to wait until 2027.
