Team Vitality confirms Derke is leaving after two seasons

Team Vitality confirmed the news on Oct. 24, 2026: Nikita “Derke” Sirmitev, a Finnish duelist, is leaving the organization’s VALORANT roster after two seasons and will not be on the 2027 lineup.

The departure follows Vitality’s runner-up finish at VCT Champions Shanghai, the VALORANT Champions Tour’s championship event, where LOUD defeated the French organization in the grand final. Vitality’s runner-up result at Champions Shanghai stands as the organization’s best showing at the event and marks Derke’s first Champions grand final.

Team Vitality‘s farewell post on X said Derke helped deliver the organization’s first VCT trophy and its first Champions grand final. Derke said he was grateful for his time with Vitality and added, “I wish I could’ve succeeded more with this team.” He also thanked fans who celebrated victories with him and offered what he described as tough but needed words.

VLR.gg lists the player’s full name as Nikita “Derke” Niko Sirmitev. The Finnish player moved to the French club in October 2024 following four years with FNATIC. His time with FNATIC included two regional championships and two international trophies, won consecutively at LOCK//IN and Masters Tokyo.

The initial 2025 lineup centred on Felipe “Less” de Loyola Basso and Saif “Sayf” Jibraeel. Vitality captured the EMEA Kickoff in 2025, claiming its first VCT trophy, and placed fourth at Masters Bangkok for its first Masters appearance. After that, the team exited both EMEA regional stages in the top eight and failed to reach another international event for the remainder of the year.

BO3.gg attributed Vitality’s difficult 2025 season with Derke to internal conflicts and public scandals involving players. The club reached VALORANT Champions 2024 by finishing second at VCT 2024: EMEA Stage 2, then exited in the group stage. Emil “runneR” Trajkovski and Jokūbas “ceNder” Labutis left the roster, with Derke and Less taking their spots.

Vitality took VCT 2025: EMEA Kickoff and advanced to VALORANT Masters Bangkok 2025, going undefeated in groups with wins over Pacific teams T1 and DRX. At Masters Bangkok, Vitality lost to G2 Esports in the upper bracket and to T1 1:2 in the lower bracket, ending in fourth place. Vitality announced Trexx’s departure on March 18, 2025, eight days before VCT 2025: EMEA Stage 1 began, and signed Clément “CyvOph” Millard that day.

On April 10, 2025, during a match against Team Heretics, Sayf made an explicit comment live on air, causing massive criticism. He soon issued a public apology, revealed he has ADHD, and promised to improve. Vitality advanced to the playoffs from the lower bracket, lost to FUT Esports and finished 7-8th, after which Sayf deleted his X profile and left social media.

Following the FUT Esports loss, Derke published a long post describing Trexx as an extremely difficult person to work with. Trexx said he was asked back two weeks after being benched but declined, saying he could not trust an organisation that had treated him that way. After Stage 1 and unsuccessful EWC 2025 qualifying, CyvOph served as a temporary stand-in, Sayf announced a break from competition, and Vitality signed Blendi “kovaQ” Kovaci and Bartosz “UNFAKE” Bernacki on June 16.

The Stage 2 roster included Kimmie “Kicks” Laasner, Felipe “Less” Basso, Nikita “Derke” Sirmitev, Bartosz “UNFAKE” Bernacki and Blendi “kovaQ” Kovaci. After group-stage wins over FUT Esports and Gentle Mates, Vitality dropped to the lower bracket of the Stage 2 playoffs, benched kovaQ, returned Sayf to the lineup, lost to Natus Vincere and finished 7-8th. Ștefan “Sayonara” Mîtcu was signed on March 18, 2025.

Ahead of 2026, Vitality overhauled its roster from the ground up, bringing in Timofey “Chronicle” Khromov from FNATIC and Elias “Jamppi” Olkkonen and Dawid “PROFEK” Święć from BBL Esports. Vitality finished fifth at Kickoff in 2026 while waiting for Ștefan “Sayonara” Mîtcu to turn 18, then placed second in Stage 1 and fourth at Masters London once he was eligible. Following a top-eight Stage 2 playoff exit, Vitality backed into Champions Shanghai as EMEA’s fourth seed on points. LOUD was the only team to defeat Vitality in Shanghai before the grand final.

Derke’s departure leaves Vitality with four players and four staff members. Elias “Jamppi” Olkkonen, Dawid “PROFEK” Święć, Timofey “Chronicle” Khromov and Ștefan “Sayonara” Mîtcu make up the remaining four players. Vitality’s VCT partner status for 2027 keeps its league spot safe. Because four members of the Champions Shanghai final roster remain, the offseason priority is signing one player instead of rebuilding the whole team again, and the club has not named a replacement for Derke.

Other organizations can begin negotiating with Derke when the offseason transfer window opens on Nov. 2, 2026. Derke has not revealed where he will play next.

RG reported that Khalish “d4v41” Rusyaidee is weighing his options after almost six years with Paper Rex, with his contract nearing its end as the 2027 VALORANT offseason gains momentum. He joined Paper Rex in 2021 after switching from Counter-Strike: Global Offensive with Jason “f0rsakeN” Susanto. Paper Rex won four Pacific titles during the partnership era, reached five international grand finals and captured Masters Toronto while he was on the roster.

Paper Rex placed second at Masters Santiago and Masters London in 2026, then exited Champions Shanghai in the top eight. Paper Rex will also retain VCT partner status for 2027.