MIBR has benched its entire active roster ahead of the VCT 2027 season, including Erick ‘aspas’ Santos and Zachary ‘zekken’ Patrone.
The news came in a statement posted by the Brazilian organization on social media, in which they announced that the benched players were still under contract but were “available for transfer negotiations.”
The announcement comes shortly after the news that MIBR had been selected as a Partner Team in the 2027 Valorant circuit restructuring.
MIBR failed to qualify for Valorant Champions 2026 in Shanghai following a disappointing 5th-6th placed finish in VCT Americas Stage 2.
MIBR bench roster ahead of Valorant 2027 circuit revamp
The Brazilian organization goes into the Valorant Champions Tour 2027 as one of the 32 selected teams across the four VCT regions, having been selected as one of VCT America’s eight Partner Teams.
The Brazilian team was one of only four South American organizations to be chosen as Partner in the restructure, alongside fellow Brazilian org LOUD and Argentine orgs KRÜ Esports and Leviatán. VCT Partner Status confers various benefits, including a partnership stipend, revenue from skin sales, and direct seeding into later parts of the VCT qualifiers.
Despite securing Partner Status, the organization voiced concerns regarding “significant changes to the competitive structure” and “the challenges associated with it” in their statement.
MIBR shared, “Following discussions with the players’ representatives and considering the significant changes to the competitive structure for 2027, including the regional transition and the challenges associated with it, MIBR has decided to reassess its Valorant roster for the upcoming season.
“As part of this process, the players will be moved to the inactive roster and made available for transfer negotiations. All existing contractual obligations remain in effect, and any potential transfers will be negotiated directly with MIBR.
“We appreciate the players’ dedication and contributions to the organization and remain committed to handling this transition professionally and respectfully.”
The statement means that the following players have been added to the MIBR bench*:
- Erick ‘aspas’ Santos
- Andrew ‘Verno’ Maust
- Roberto ‘Mazino’ Rivas
- Zachary ‘zekken’ Patrone
*Ian ‘tex’ Botsch is also on mibr’s bench, but was moved to the bench prior to the partnership decision on September 21, when the player announced he was exploring options for 2027.
The statement includes no news regarding team staff, meaning Head Coach Daniel ‘fr0d’ Montaner seemingly remains in place.
MIBR will be seeking to field a more competitive roster for VCT 2027 after the failure to qualify for Valorant Champions 2026, which compounded a painful year that saw their regional rivals of Leviatán and LOUD win international competitions at Valorant Masters London and Valorant Champions Shanghai.
What do you think MIBR’s plans are? Share your thoughts with us on the Insider Gaming Discord.
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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.
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