Valorant off-season: zander exits Shopify Rebellion Black as XLG let coach hvoya explore options again

The Valorant off-season has started outside the Champions Shanghai finals. On 13 October, Controller player Alexander "zander" Dituri said Shopify Rebellion had let him explore his options for 2027. Xi Lai Gaming head coach Aleksandr "hvoya" Eremin is also free to talk to other teams, and French side Joblife hired Pavle "pakko" Kostic as head coach.

zander available after one season

zander announced the news on X. He said Shopify Rebellion had allowed him to explore his options for the 2027 season, and that he is willing to relocate and to play either Controller or Sentinel. In the post he said he was "confident that 2027+ will be the best version of myself."

He spent one season with Shopify Rebellion Black in the North American Challengers scene. VLR.gg reports that the team finished second in all three regional stages. It also finished second at the Americas Last Chance Qualifier, losing a five-map final that ran over two days because of long technical pauses. Shopify Rebellion Black had already let in-game leader NaturE explore his options.

zander has played professionally for about five years. He is best known for his time at M80, and he played in VCT for 100 Thieves more than a year ago.

XLG's hvoya on the market again

hvoya has also said on X that XLG is letting him explore his options, according to VLR.gg. It is the second year running that XLG has done this: last year he was allowed to talk to other teams, then re-signed for 2026.

Riot's VCT Global Contract Database shows his contract running to the end of the 2026 season. He has coached XLG since the start of 2024. In that time the team won China National Competition Season 2 and China Ascension. In 2025, XLG won their first VCT title. In 2026 they qualified for every international event and finished fifth to sixth at Masters London, their best international result.

The playing roster is not affected. VLR.gg reports that all six XLG players are under contract until at least 2027.

Joblife name pakko head coach

In Europe's second tier, Joblife hired pakko as head coach on a contract to 2028. Joblife released its whole roster at the end of 2026, so pakko is effectively starting from scratch.

pakko coached Diamant Esports in three separate spells in 2022 and 2023. He then spent 2025 with Karmine Corp's academy team, which won the France Stage 2 Challengers title. He joined Gentle Mates for 2026 but was released partway through the year.

Also on the move

On 10 October, PCIFIC in-game leader qpert announced that he is exploring his options for 2027. PCIFIC told VLR.gg that all five players and the head coach stay under contract until the end of the season. However, the team has also allowed several other players and both coaches to explore their options, which raises questions about its future in the league.

These moves come as the last four teams at Champions Shanghai prepare for the final weekend. Vitality, LOUD, G2 Esports and 100 Thieves are still in the event.

Key takeaways

• zander is leaving Shopify Rebellion Black after one season and is open to Controller or Sentinel roles.
• XLG let head coach hvoya explore options for a second straight off-season. Their six players remain under contract.
• Joblife hired pakko as head coach until 2028 after releasing their whole roster.
• PCIFIC's qpert is also exploring options for 2027.

FAQ

Is zander a free agent? Shopify Rebellion has allowed him to explore his options for 2027, and he says he is willing to relocate.

Is hvoya leaving XLG? Not confirmed. XLG has let him explore options, but his contract runs to the end of the 2026 season and he re-signed after the same situation last year.

Who is Joblife's new coach? Pavle "pakko" Kostic, formerly of Karmine Corp's academy and Gentle Mates, on a contract to 2028.

Sources: VLR.gg, zander on X, Riot VCT Global Contract Database