Aurora Gaming is moving into Valorant with a five-man lineup: Nikita "Derke" Niko Sirmitev, Ričardas "Boo" Lukaševičius, Nikita "trexx" Cherednichenko, Vitaliy "B1SK" Emelyanov and Egor "chiwa" Stepanyuk.

The org announced the squad on its Valorant X account on October 28, 2026, summing up the news with the phrase "A new chapter begins".

Roster Assembled In Days

In a follow-up post, Aurora's CEO said he had never watched a roster come together so fast. Coach interviews, player negotiations and contracts were all wrapped up in a matter of days.

VLR.gg reports that a few of the deals were signed just minutes before the qualifier registration deadline closed.

Aurora already runs teams in Apex Legends and Counter-Strike 2. It has not named a Valorant coach yet.

For anyone following the Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) betting markets, the move matters because Aurora arrives without a partnership slot.

The team must play its way in through the Open Qualifiers, which begin in November. The goal is one of two EMEA qualifier spots for the VCT 2027 EMEA Kickoff, according to VLR.gg.

VLR.gg calls this one of the strongest non-partnered rosters on paper. Qualifier results, not reputations, will settle where it lands.

Who Is On The Team

Derke is the headline name. VLR.gg describes him as the centrepiece of a Team Vitality rebuild two years ago and notes that across stints at FNATIC and Vitality he has made 12 international events, winning two international titles and five trophies overall. He is expected to play Duelist.

Trexx started out as a Duelist but has spent the past two years on Initiator. He and Derke briefly shared a team at Vitality.

Boo is expected to handle in-game leadership on Controller, a role he filled at Team Heretics for the last four seasons.

B1SK and chiwa have both played Valorant since 2020 and have spent years chasing VCT spots. VLR.gg projects chiwa on Sentinel and B1SK on Duelist alongside Derke.

Chiwa is Russian, and VLR.gg notes he has run into visa problems with two previous teams. That is a practical risk worth watching if Aurora reaches any in-person stage, since who is available can shift how a team is priced and how a match unfolds.

What Happens Next

The Open Qualifiers are the first real test. Open qualifier brackets are volatile. Veteran-heavy lineups can still drop a single best-of-three, and a new team has had little time to build team play.

Until Aurora plays matches, there is no competitive record to judge it by. This article cites no odds because none have been confirmed from a primary source.

Anyone betting on esports should keep stakes sensible and use only licensed operators.

Our guide to responsible gambling explains the tools available to stay in control, and our list of betting sites covers regulated options for UK players.

We will update this story when Aurora names a coach or its qualifier schedule is confirmed.

Latest News from Gambling.com

CFTC vs. States: Inside the Fight Over Who Regulates Prediction Markets Betting

Judge Blocks Illinois Prediction Market Tax As State Appeals Betting

AI Could Do Half The Work In 14 Of 15 Malta iGaming Roles Casino

Midterm Odds Can Be Moved For $3,500, Study Finds Betting

Ontario iGaming Revenue Rises 26% To C$416.3 Million In September Casino

Dutch Regulator Orders Endorphina To Block Illegal Sites Casino

Source: gambling.com