Global Esports is withdrawing from VALORANT and from esports entirely. The decision was announced by founder and CEO Rushindra Sinha, who said it had been a long time in the making.
According to Sinha, when Riot asked teams about their plans around the new partnership structure last November, Global Esports replied that 2026 would most likely be its final year in esports.
Ironically, 2026 was the organisation's most successful year. The team reached the international stage for the first time and lifted its first VCT trophy at Pacific Stage 2.
Sinha explained that under the new rules it made no sense to run an entire company just to keep the roster together. The players have been released to explore other options, while the organisation continues as an AI studio.