Aurora Gaming Enters Valorant, Even Without a Partnership Spot

Owen Harsono Published October 29, 2026

Serbian esports Aurora Gaming has officially announced its new Valorant roster for the upcoming 2027 season, signing several world champions while they’re at it. However, the org could be entering dangerous territory, as they’ll compete as a non-VCT partner.

Aurora Expands to One of the “Most Promising Titles in Esports”

Aurora announced its new Valorant roster, marking a new chapter. The org actively competes in some of the biggest esports titles in the world, including Dota 2, Counter-Strike 2, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, and many more.

“It marks our entry into one of the most promising titles in esports. We believe this is an incredibly important step for the continued growth of Aurora Gaming,” said Adalyat Mamedov, the CEO of Aurora.

It’s safe to say Aurora isn’t pulling any punches, as the org has signed proven winners to lead its new lineup. The new Valorant roster consists of the following players:

• Nikita “Derke” Sirmitev
• Nikita “trexx” Cherednichenko
• Ričardas “Boo” Lukaševičius
• Egor “chiwa” Stepaniuk
• Vitaliy “B1SK” Emelyanov

THIS IS AURORA VALORANT ⭐️

@Derke
@trexxfps
@BooVAL1
@chiwavlr
@B1SKxd

No introductions needed. A new chapter begins. https://t.co/jOxNM5O7YQ

— Aurora Valorant (@Aurora_Valorant) October 28, 2026

Derke is the most notable player on the roster. He recently placed second at VCT Champions 2026 and has already won several international titles during his time under Fnatic.

Accompanying Derke is former Team Heretics in-game leader Boo, who led his ex-teammates to a victory at the 2025 Esports World Cup.

The rest of the team is filled with promising players. First is trexx, who has played for squads like Team Vitality and Team Liquid previously. The remaining two are chiwa and B1SK, who are VCT Challengers players with great potential.

No Partnership Means No Guarantee

Though Aurora is shaping up to be one of the largest esports organizations in the world, it’s worth noting they’re dipping their toes into Valorant without a VCT partnership status.

This means Aurora will not receive financial assistance from Riot Games through methods such as revenue from in-game items, nor will they be invited to the first event of the year – VCT Kickoff 2027.

Aurora will have to fund its roster using its own pockets, and the team will also have to qualify for international events through regional qualifiers.

We’ve seen several organizations like Global Esports pulling the plug on its Valorant roster after failing to secure partnership, but Aurora seems to be taking the gamble. The roster will have to post strong results, as they’re now in a “do-or-die” environment.

Image Credits: Valorant Esports

We’ll see Aurora debut in open qualifiers instead of a VCT stage match, as they’ll have to work for their spot on the VCT EMEA Kickoff starting January next year.

Feature Image Credit: Colin Young-Wolff / Riot Games