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Sato reportedly set to join G2 for 2027
G2 Esports plans to add Eduardo "Sato" Nagahama for the 2027 VALORANT season. According to reporting by journalist Alejandro "Anonimotum" Gomis, the Brazilian duelist and the organization are interested in joining forces once the offseason window opens. The move would see Sato replace Andrej "babybay" Francisty.
The move has not been finalized and would only take place after the current season ends. G2 is also weighing options for another position on its roster, although Alexander "jawgemo" Mor is not completely out of the organization's plans for 2027.
G2 Already Looking Ahead to 2027 Before Champions
G2's interest in Sato comes while the organization still has Champions 2026 ahead. The organization finished the regional season qualified for the year's biggest tournament, but according to the report, it has already begun discussing how it plans to build its lineup for the next cycle.
Sato's arrival would amount to a direct swap for babybay, who made a full-time return to competition with G2 this season after spending time working on VCT broadcasts. The North American also began playing Sentinel during 2026, while much of Sato's recent success has come in more aggressive roles.
The other question surrounds the fifth player in the project. G2 is considering options for the spot, but jawgemo remains a possibility. That means even with the first talks for 2027 already underway, the final roster could still depend on moves made during the offseason.
Sato Hits the Market After International Title With Leviatán
A potential transfer would cap a season of extremes for Sato. The Brazilian enjoyed the biggest moment of his career at Masters London, where Leviatán won the first international title in its history by defeating Paper Rex 3-2 in the grand final.
The result capped a first half of the year in which Leviatán also reached the VCT Americas Stage 1 final. On that occasion, however, G2 came out on top 3-2 to win the regional title.
The second half of the year did not end the same way for Sato and his teammates. Leviatán fell to G2 again during the Stage 2 playoffs and finished the Championship Points race without claiming one of the Americas' four spots at Champions Shanghai. G2, meanwhile, secured its place at the world championship alongside NRG, LOUD, and 100 Thieves.
New VCT Raises the Pressure on Rosters
The roster market is also unfolding amid the biggest overhaul of VALORANT's competitive circuit since the international leagues were created. In 2027, Riot Games will begin a new two-year partnership cycle and replace much of the regular-season format with a tournament-based calendar.
In VCT Americas, EMEA, and Pacific, Kickoff will feature 12 teams: eight partner organizations and four teams from Open Qualifiers. A place in the partnership program will continue to offer benefits such as direct entry into later rounds and guaranteed payments, but it will not provide automatic passage into every competition that follows.
Teams from the open circuit will also be able to qualify directly for Kickoff, Cups, Masters, and Champions. Riot also confirmed fixed payments for non-partner organizations that reach those stages, creating a shorter path from Open Qualifiers to the biggest international events.
The previous model, in which teams had to follow a lengthy path toward Ascension, will therefore no longer be the only route to the top level of competition. Starting in 2027, results during the season itself will carry more weight in determining which teams continue advancing through the circuit.
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Featured image credit: Riot Games
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