Foo Zen-Wen

NAVI are storming into the lead at VCT EMEA Kickoff after taking down yet another name on their path to Masters Santiago qualification. With this win against Team Heretics, the team is 2 wins away from a spot at the first international event of the year. Following their victory, Strafe Esports sat down with Natus Vincere (NAVI) player Emirhan “hiro” Kat to speak on the team’s success thus far at Kickoff, his personal preparation in the off-season, the team’s goals for the season, and so much more in this exclusive interview.

Team Heretics have arrived in 2026 with their debut match against Natus Vincere (NAVI) in VCT EMEA Kickoff, but perhaps not with the landing they were hoping for. Following the conclusion of their series, Strafe Esports sat down with Team Heretics player Benjy “benjyfishy” Fish to reflect on the team’s performance during the series, goals for 2026 following a quieter 2025, his thoughts on the game changes during the off-season, and so much more in this exclusive interview.

The road to Masters Santiago begins with a single step – Kickoff. The VCT EMEA Kickoff for 2026 is set to begin on the 20th of January with 12 teams taking to the stage, competing and qualifying for 3 slots to the first VALORANT Masters event of the new year. Kings of old? Established order? 2026 upturns all of that with new challengers vying for control in this latest season of VCT EMEA.

Karmine Corp’s opening debut with their new roster in the VCT EMEA 2026 Kickoff tournament did not deliver quite the brilliant opener they were hoping for. However, despite NAVI’s brilliant start to both maps, Karmine Corp managed to mount late game comebacks both times, resulting in an end result that was far from satisfactory, but not fully disappointing. Following the conclusion to the series, Strafe Esports sat down with Karmine Corp’s Head Coach Andrey “Engh” Sholokhov to speak on the team’s performance during the match, their preparation coming into their first match of 2026, his thoughts on the game’s changes since last season, and so much more in this exclusive interview.

Strafe Esports was recently invited to attend a media event organized by the EWC (Esports World Cup). In it, an open discussion was held around EWC 2026 and beyond, answering some of the bigger questions surrounding one of the world’s biggest emerging esports tournament organizers.

The LEC (League of Legends European Championship) has announced a return for the fan-favourite Roadshows for the 2026 season – this time with 5 events planned throughout the year. Once again, the LEC has partnered with Movistar KOI and Karmine Corp for these events, allowing them to determine the venues.