Aurora Gaming has announced that it has entered the Valorant esports space, announcing a roster that includes Nikita ‘derke’ Sirmitev. The esports organization enters Valorant competition as the restructured 2027 circuit begins, where the team will take part in the VCT 2027 Kickoff Open Qualifiers. Aurora announces stacked Valorant roster Aurora’s Valorant roster is: Vitaliy ‘b1sk’ Emelyanov Egor ‘chiwa’ Stepanyuk Nikita ‘derke’ Sirmitev Nikita ‘trexx’ Cherednichenko Ričardas ‘Boo’ Lukaševičius The team’s most notable pieces are undoubtedly derke and Boo. eerke comes fresh off Valorant Champions 2026, where Derke’s Vitality was defeated by LOUD 3-1 in the Grand Final. The Finnish Duelist is one of the most legendary players in EMEA history, as part of the VCT 2023 LOCK IN São Paulo and Valorant Masters Tokyo 2023-winning Fnatic roster Best known for his Team Heretics stint, Boo’s most recent trophy came when Heretics claimed VCT 2026: EMEA Stage 1, also IGLing his team to Esports World Cup 2025 glory. trexx departs Liquid after VCT 2025 EMEA Stage 2 victory on that roster, which finished 9th-12th at Valorant Champions Shanghai after Semyon ‘purp0’ Borchev’s sudden pre-event benching. chiwa and b1sk move up from Tier 2 competition. chiwa departs Joblife, who made waves and caused big upsets in VCT EMEA Stage 2, while b1sk returns to action after UCAM’s season ended early, following two Challengers Rising Spain split victories. Adalet Mamedov, CEO of Aurora Gaming, shared, “Today we signed a roster in VALORANT, one of the most promising titles in esports, and we see this as an extremely important and meaningful step for Aurora Gaming’s continued growth. “This was hands down the fastest roster build I’ve ever witnessed. Everything seemed to fall into place on its own in just a few days: a great coach, amazing players, and negotiations and signings wrapped up just minutes before qualifier registration closed. We can’t wait for the first match!” With a mix of experience and raw talent, the team is expected to be a competitive roster despite being part of a non-Partnered organization. As a result of their status, Aurora will begin their campaign on November 5, when they will compete in the VCT 2027 EMEA Kickoff Open Qualifiers. Only two teams can progress through the qualifiers to make the main event for Kickoff, as Partnered Teams are directly invited to Kickoff, therefore, it will be a tough task, but with a star-studded roster, the team is expected to progress despite the odds. Do you think this roster can compete with the Partner Teams? Share your thoughts with us on the Insider Gaming Discord. For more news, see the PGL Masters Bucharest Playoff Bracket. And for even more Insider Gaming delivered directly to your inbox, sign up for our newsletter. Darragh is an Esports Journalist for Insider Gaming specialising in Counter-Strike. He loves to explore how esports teams work, or why they very often do not. MOBILE APP Level Up Your Gaming News Real-time news, exclusive podcasts, push alerts, and a better reading experience. Available on iOS & Android
