VCT 2027 transfer window opens: OXY leaves Cloud9 for Sentinels, Fnatic part ways with coach ENGH
OXY joined Sentinels and Fnatic dropped coach ENGH as the Valorant market opened on 2 November. FURIA's players became free agents the same day.
The VCT 2027 transfer window opened on Monday, 2 November 2026, and teams in the Americas and EMEA moved quickly. Sentinels signed duelist Francis "OXY" Hoang after three years at Cloud9, and Fnatic parted ways with head coach Andre "ENGH" Sholokhov. Every player and coach at FURIA also became a free agent after the Brazilian organisation left Tier 1 Valorant.
OXY moves to Sentinels
Sheep Esports first reported the move on 24 October, and Sentinels confirmed OXY on 2 November. He replaces Gurjiwan "Jerrwin" Gill as the team's duelist. OXY spent three years at Cloud9 and was one of the Americas' best duelists by the numbers, but Cloud9 did not win a regional title or reach an international event after VCT 2023 LOCK//IN. In a farewell video, OXY said, "All good things come to an end."
The move follows Riot's partnership decisions for 2027–28. Sentinels kept one of the eight Americas partner places. Cloud9, a partner since it signed a four-year deal in 2022, was left out. Cloud9 has said it is staying in Valorant and is holding open tryouts for a roster to enter the Open Qualifiers. It has also allowed Jack "Jackk" Foote to look at other options.
Fnatic reset after a historic low
Fnatic kept its EMEA partnership but made its first big change by removing ENGH, who is now a free agent. He joined midway through 2026, about six months ago, and could not turn the season around. Fnatic did not qualify for any of the three international events in 2026, which THESPIKE.GG called a first for the organisation. That included losing to a Tier 2 team in the EMEA Stage 2 playoffs. Fnatic has not named a new coach, though Kirill "ANGE1" Karasiow and Adam "kaplan" Kaplan are reported to be candidates.
FURIA step away, and teams clear their rosters
FURIA was also left out of the 2027–28 partnership programme. It confirmed it is leaving the mixed Tier 1 Valorant scene after four years as an Americas partner, and its whole roster and staff became free agents when the market opened. FURIA won its first regional title at VCT 2026 Americas Kickoff and says it will stay involved in the inclusive Game Changers scene.
Several big teams had already cleared their rosters before 2 November. NAVI and Gentle Mates released their entire rosters, MIBR let all of its players look for new teams, and Aurora signed Derke, Boo and trexx for VCT EMEA 2027. In Asia-Pacific, T1 made major changes on the same day the window opened.
Why it matters for Asian fans
Most of these moves are in the Americas and EMEA, but they affect the international events where VCT Pacific teams such as Paper Rex and RRQ play. A rebuilt Sentinels, a reset Fnatic and a stronger Aurora could all be different opponents at Masters and Champions in 2027. A larger pool of free agents could also give Pacific teams more options when signing players or coaches.
Key takeaways
- The VCT 2027 transfer window opened on 2 November 2026.
- Sentinels signed OXY from Cloud9 to replace Jerrwin as duelist.
- Fnatic released head coach ENGH after missing every 2026 international event.
- FURIA left Tier 1 Valorant, and its players and staff became free agents.
- Cloud9 lost its partner slot and is holding open tryouts for the Open Qualifiers.
FAQ
When did the Valorant 2027 off-season transfer window open? It opened on Monday, 2 November 2026. Players whose contracts ended became free agents that day.
Is Cloud9 leaving Valorant? No. Cloud9 lost its VCT partnership for 2027–28 but says it will stay and try to qualify through the Open Qualifiers.
Who replaced ENGH as Fnatic's head coach? Fnatic has not announced a replacement yet. ANGE1 and kaplan are reported to be candidates.
Sources: THESPIKE.GG, Sheep Esports