The VALORANT off-season is barely a week old and the departures are already stacking up. Team Heretics have said goodbye to Wo0t, Meteor has announced he is looking for a new team after his T1 deal runs out, and keiko will not continue with NRG next year. All three moves land ahead of November 2, the date that opens VCT free agency and the expiry date for a long list of contracts in Riot’s VCT Global Contract Database.
The changes follow a Champions event that ended with LOUD lifting a second world title, and they show how quickly teams have turned their attention to 2027.
Heretics close the Wo0t era
Team Heretics confirmed the exit of Mert “Wo0t” Alkan on October 21, thanking him for “the three years we’ve shared” in their announcement on X. The Turkish duelist joined in October 2023 as part of a rebuild and became a central figure in the team’s best years.
Joined as a boy, leaving as a man. Came to change our destiny 🤍
Thank you @WootVL for the three years we’ve shared. It’s been a wonderful journey.#ThankYouWo0t pic.twitter.com/rcqbvnRnZK
— Heretics Valorant (@HereticsVal) October 21, 2026
According to VLR.gg, his time with the club included six international appearances, an EMEA title and an Esports World Cup trophy. At Masters Shanghai 2024, where Heretics finished second, Wo0t led the whole event with 427 kills. With Koshmaras and Boo also gone, benjyfishy and RieNs are the only active players left, and both of their contracts run until November 2. Heretics have three spots to fill.
Meteor opens the door to Korea, Japan and China
Kim “Meteor” Tae-oh posted that he is looking for a team in Korea, Japan or China, writing: “I want to join the team that needs me and the team that is striving for victory.” His T1 contract is one of four on the roster set to expire on November 2, along with those of Stax, Munchkin and BuZz, VLR.gg reports.
Few players in VCT Pacific have a CV like his. Meteor won Masters Shanghai 2024 with Gen.G, the first international trophy for the Pacific league, and then won Masters Bangkok 2025 with T1, where he was named MVP. His two years at T1 ended with a 5th to 6th place finish at Champions, the team’s best result at the event.
keiko becomes a restricted free agent
In the Americas, Georgio “keiko” Sanassy confirmed that his stay at NRG will last just one season. “NRG have informed me that I will not be continuing with them next year,” he wrote on X, adding that the club is letting him explore options as a restricted free agent. That status means a contract still ties him to NRG, so any new team would need to reach a deal with the organization.
keiko is a flexible pick for any buyer. Before NRG he spent two seasons at Team Liquid, and with NRG he played on duelists, controllers and sentinels across all three of the team’s international events.
More moves to come before November 2
The trio are far from alone. Over the same few days, coaches and analysts also announced exits, including balax, who left LOUD after working as an analyst on the Champions-winning staff. With so many deals ending on the same date, the next week should bring a wave of signings as teams lock in their 2027 rosters.
