FUT Esports have started rebuilding their Valorant team for VCT 2027, and the first name is a big one. The Turkish organisation announced on 6 November that Mert “Wo0t” Alkan is “officially joining our VCT roster”, adding that the move is still pending Riot approval. Within minutes of that announcement, Sheep Esports reported that Fire Flux Esports initiator Mehmet Batu “batujnax” Özaslan has reached a verbal agreement to join him. That followed an earlier report from the same outlet that his Fire Flux teammate Berkay “hezacoil” Doğar is heading the same way.
Wo0t is the headline signing, and he arrives with one of the best records of any Turkish player in the VCT. He spent three years with Team Heretics, reaching the Valorant Champions 2024 grand final and winning the Esports World Cup in 2025. He then lifted the VCT EMEA Stage 1 title with the Spanish club this year, before leaving it on 22 October. He has also worn the FUT shirt before, standing in for the team at Monsters Reloaded 2026 last month, where FUT finished in the top four.
Why FUT Esports are rebuilding their VCT roster
The changes follow a season that ended in disappointment at Valorant Champions in Shanghai. FUT opened the group stage with a 2-0 win over JD Gaming, but losses to 100 Thieves and T1 sent them home early, in an event that LOUD went on to win. Back in Europe, FUT had finished third at VCT EMEA Stage 2 after a 3-0 defeat to Team Liquid in the lower bracket final. That was enough to qualify for Champions, but not enough to change the feeling that the roster had peaked.
FUT have already parted ways with Doğan “xeus” Gözgen, Efe “s0pp” Tur and Volkan “sociablEE” Yönal, along with head coach Berke “Vlad” Kantürk, according to Sheep Esports, whose reporting cites Riot’s VCT Global Contract Database. Eray “yetujey” Budak is signed only until the end of 2026, while Okan “KROSTALY” Alaçam has a deal that runs through the 2027 season, although it is not clear whether he will stay. The organisation kept its partner slot when Riot cut each international league to eight teams for the 2027-28 cycle, so it has the security to rebuild properly.
Who are batujnax and hezacoil, the Fire Flux pair joining Wo0t?
Neither batujnax nor hezacoil is a household name yet, but both have climbed quickly through the Turkish scene. batujnax made his VCT debut with Apeks in 2025, after the team earned promotion through Ascension EMEA. Both players then spent the early part of 2026 at S2G Esports. From there, he and hezacoil moved to REBORN, winning Challengers EMEA Stage 2 and finishing second in Stage 3, before Fire Flux Esports took over the roster in August.
Under the Fire Flux banner, the pair finished fourth at VCT EMEA Stage 2 in Berlin, an impressive result for a team that had only just stepped up. In September, Fire Flux allowed batujnax to explore his options along with DeadInk, reazy and Lev, but the core stayed together for Monsters Reloaded 2026. There, they knocked out FUT 2-1 in the semi-finals on 24 October before losing the final 3-1 to BBL Esports, with hezacoil recording a 1.82 rating on Corrode in the win over FUT, according to VLR.gg.
That run seems to have convinced FUT that the pair are ready. If the reports are correct, the new line-up would combine Wo0t’s international experience with two young players who have already beaten them. Sheep Esports lists the 2027 roster as batujnax, hezacoil and Wo0t, with two places and the head coach role still to be filled.
What it means for VCT EMEA 2027
The signings add to a busy off-season in which partner teams are reshaping their rosters ahead of the new cycle, from T1’s reported superteam in Pacific to big moves across EMEA. Riot has described the 2027 season as one with no guaranteed paths, which raises the stakes for every partner team. Wo0t’s old club, Team Heretics, will be one of FUT’s main rivals, having won VCT EMEA Stage 1 with him this year.
FUT have made seven international appearances, according to Sheep Esports, but are still waiting for their first VCT trophy. The new roster is expected to make its debut at VCT 2027 Kickoff EMEA in Berlin in January. Until then, neither batujnax nor hezacoil has been officially announced by FUT Esports yet.
