Riot just yanked ULF Esports from VCT EMEA mid-season for not paying their players and handed the slot to Eternal Fire, proving once again that orgs who can't handle payroll don't get to keep their spot.
ULF Esports Removal
ULF Esports Removal
- ULF got the boot due to long-standing salary failures dating back to joining the league.
- The org blamed internal fiscal issues and the broader esports economy for its collapse.
- Riot stepped in to protect the players who actually earned promotion on the server.
- ULF framed the withdrawal as a move to shield staff from further hardship.
- Eternal Fire is stepping in for the remainder of the 2026 season to fill the slot.
- The Turkish org is signing four core players from ULF’s former roster.
- Coaching staff is also transitioning over to keep the competitive core intact.
- Eternal Fire will keep its secondary Challengers squad as an academy team.
- This marks the third time Riot has swapped an Ascension team for org instability.
- The Guard lost its spot to G2 in America's back in 2023 over similar issues.
- Bleed Esports got replaced by BOOM in the Pacific during 2024 for operational failures.
- Eternal Fire’s new roster faces a brutal debut against FNATIC on April 1st.
