Riot Games announced over the weekend that Spanish-based organisation KOI will not retain its VCT EMEA partner team spot for the upcoming 2026 season.

Riot Games’ statement on X cited KOI’s “inconsistent performance and failure to meet certain obligations as reasons for the move”breach of contractual agreement”. While Riot’s action aligns with contractual rights, KOI’s spokespeople have raised questions about the organiser’s flexibility and communication, as Riot’s public announcement was made after only a couple of days since notifying the organization, KOI said.

In response to the decision on X, KOI co-Founder Ibai Llanos owned up to the team’s shortcomings and acknowledged several areas where KOI could have performed better. However, he highlighted what he called “less than desirable” communication from Riot regarding the timing and handling of the decision.

Adam Adamou, CEO of OverActive Media, which acquired Movistar KOI in January 2024, also weighed in on the decision.

“The decision came suddenly, and I disagree with it,” Adamou said on X. “But let me be clear, Riot was fully within its rights under the agreement to make this call and to reject the alternatives.” 

He explained that KOI had delivered everything required under the contract for 2024 and offered strong alternatives for 2025 and 2026, which Riot ultimately did not accept. In his statement, Adamou stressed Riot’s decision was about contract technicalities, not the team’s performance.

According to Ibai’s latest stream, KOI’s contract included a clause requiring him to co-stream VCT matches. Yet when he offered Riot Games to broadcast all remaining matches himself, the organiser reportedly responded that it “didn’t matter either way.” 

Ibai added: “So, the problem is whether I stream or not, because if I tell you that I’m going to broadcast the matches again, and your response is that you don’t care either way, what is the problem then? Apart from that, as you know, in terms of content, we haven’t been the best team.

“In terms of skin sales, we came last, and in terms of sports we did very poorly. In the end, it was a combination of things that led Riot to decide that, well, we should be out of VCT. And basically, there’s no way for us to stay in VCT.”

KOI joined the VCT EMEA league with high expectations, quickly becoming a fan-favourite team thanks to its competitive spirit and Ibai’s prominent streaming presence. Over the Stages in EMEA, however, the team struggled to deliver consistent results.

According to Ibai, KOI had been planning a comeback storyline for 2026, even securing a coach early on, but those plans will no longer materialise. Aside from the first VCT EMEA Kickoff event in 2024, KOI has failed to finish higher than 9th in the league.

Esports Insider has reached out to Riot Games for more details regarding the decision, but it has yet to receive any on-the-record comments.