VCT Stage 2 Roster Roundup: Every Major Move Before July 16

This is more than a roster move. For VCT Americas fans, it's a long-overdue payoff on a storyline that dragged through most of 2025. Keep an eye on FURIA, they've added a serious mechanical upgrade just before the VCT Americas Stage 2 schedule kicks off.

💔 Gen.G Parts Ways with Lakia

After three separate stints spanning three years, Gen.G and Kim "Lakia" Jong-min are finally going their separate ways. The Initiator-turned-IGL was one of the defining players of Gen.G's dominant 2024 run: he helped win Pacific Kickoff, anchored the roster that took down Team Heretics at Masters Shanghai, and became the first Korean-led team to win a non-Kickoff split in VCT history.

The departure stings because the context is rough. Gen.G finished 9th-10th in Stage 1 and slid to 11th-12th in Stage 2 of 2025, a collapse from their near-untouchable 2024 form. Lakia had missed most of 2025 with a wrist injury, returned to limited stage time, and the rebuild clearly did not go as planned.

Lakia's next move is unknown, but expect him to resurface. His IGL credentials remain elite. Gen.G now faces an immediate question for Stage 2: who calls the game?

🎯 GLYPH Crosses the Atlantic to Sign with Envy

Conner "GLYPH" Garcia is making the jump from EMEA to Americas, inking a deal with Envy ahead of VCT Americas Stage 2. The controller specialist spent seven months at Gentle Mates, helping the team reach a top-8 finish at Masters Santiago 2026 before being replaced by Proxh just weeks after Stage 1 ended.

The casualty of the signing: Matteo "P0PPIN" Weber, the last original member of the RANKERS lineup still active, gets moved to the reserve roster. P0PPIN had been filling the IGL role for Envy during what the org describes as a "season full of challenges and changes."

GLYPH joins a core of Eggsterr, Demon1, Rossy, and keznit, giving Envy a fresh controller in the mix. Whether this shakes up their standings is Stage 2's big question.

🤒 EDG Heading to EWC Doubly Shorthanded: Smoggy AND cb Gone

EDG head to the Esports World Cup 2026 in an increasingly dire roster situation. Zhang "Smoggy" Zhao picked up a severe wisdom tooth infection during Masters London that triggered high fever and forced surgery in the offseason. He won't recover in time for Paris.

His replacement on the active roster: Dale "signed" Tang, EDG's head coach, who steps in as a player for EWC group stage. EDG were ranked first in China heading into this tournament, so the stakes couldn't be higher. Their group includes BBL Esports, 100 Thieves, and Rex Regum Qeon.

Now comes the second blow. cb, listed as a substitute and reportedly struggling with visa complications for Paris, has been officially released by EDG after just two events with the org. EDG go into EWC without both Smoggy and cb, running a depleted lineup at the highest-stakes event of the summer. Check the VCT EWC 2026 group breakdown for the full picture of what they're walking into. 📉

🐺 More Moves Across the Board

• nothing joins Wolves as their sixth man ahead of Stage 2, adding depth to a China roster that has been building steadily throughout the year.
• grubinho parts ways with GIANTX after more than a year as their controller in EMEA. A consistent presence in their lineup, his departure leaves a real gap the team will need to fill fast.
• BiliBili Gaming brought back Anaks, the former head coach of JDG and DRX, to steer the team into Stage 2. A serious hire from a pedigree-rich coach.
• Wolves re-signed aluba as IGL, reinforcing their China roster further ahead of the split.
• Titan Esports Club added Muggle (coach) and ra1ny (player), rounding out their Stage 2 squad.

🔮 What This Means for Stage 2

The biggest headline entering Stage 2 is basic finally suiting up for FURIA. A team that has been waiting on a real upgrade for over a year now has one, and the competitive implications for Americas are real.

Gen.G without Lakia is a structural puzzle heading into a stage where IGL quality wins series. Envy betting on GLYPH over P0PPIN signals a direction shift toward raw mechanicals over in-game leadership. And EDG starting EWC with their head coach on the server, without both Smoggy and cb, is either a calculated risk or a recipe for an upset.

The Teams Heretics roster is also dealing with its own disruptions this cycle, including neilzinho's ACL injury before VCT EMEA Stage 2.

For those who followed Leviatán's Masters London title run, the competitive landscape is shifting fast. If you want to track your own ranked Valorant progress while the pros shuffle rosters, jump into a ladder on Amber.gg and put your skills to the test. 🎮