After three years of competition, Apeks Apeks Inactive has announced their withdrawal from Valorant following their relegation from VCT EMEA.

“Ultimately, while we are confident that we could once again build a high-caliber roster for VCL, the current system no longer aligns with the conditions that initially led us to invest in the space,” the Norwegian organization explained. “We hope to return at a later point, but for now, we bid farewell.”

More specifically, the statement pointed to adjustments made to the Ascension system in 2024, where the length of Ascension teams' stay in their respective International Leagues was altered from two guaranteed years to one year with potential extensions based on performance, as a key factor. The team claimed that it “fundamentally changed what [they] had planned for the 2025 season” and impacted their budget and decision-making over the course of the year.

Apeks first began competing in Challengers Northern Europe at the start of 2023 with a roster of well-known players featuring keiko , MAGNUM , Enzo , Mistic , and ShadoW . The team dominated their region, losing only two matches over the course of the entire year, one of them being a grand final loss to Gentle Mates Gentle Mates Europe Rank #137 ComeBack Berkcan Şentürk Minny Patrik Hušek kamyk Maks Rychlewski .

Denied the opportunity to ascend, Apeks returned to Challengers North in 2024 with an entirely new roster of kaajak , soulcas , MOLSI , AvovA , and hype . Once again, they only lost two matches in Challengers across the entire year, this time finally ascending to VCT EMEA with a 3-2 win over PCIFIC Espor PCIFIC Espor Inactive ComeBack Berkcan Şentürk Rosé Eren Erzan Loita Utku Kart Lar0k Yusuf Kaan Kanber .

Apeks lifting the EMEA Ascension 2024 trophy The winners of EMEA Ascension 2024. (Photo by Wojciech Wandzel/Riot Games)

2025 proved a difficult year for Apeks. After a multitude of roster changes, they were unable to make their mark on VCT EMEA and ended their season without a win, finishing in the bottom four and being relegated from the league without the chance to return to Ascension. All of their players have since announced free agency. With the organization's departure from the game, the team's head coach DANNYTO and assistant coach oderus have also respectively announced their free agency.