German esports organization MOUZ posted on its X account on December 18, 2025 announcing it will no longer compete in VALORANT after a four-year run. The team said the current VALORANT Champions Tour format does not align with its long-term ambitions and that it does not see a place for itself in the existing ecosystem. “We have made the decision to not continue with VALORANT,” the statement reads. The organization thanked partners, players and staff for their work during its time in the scene.
An update on our future in VALORANT. pic.twitter.com/GGTtGX6RyL
— MOUZ (@mousesports) December 18, 2025
MOUZ entered VALORANT competition in 2022 and mostly competed in the DACH Challengers circuit, regularly chasing domestic titles and a route to tier one via Ascension. The organization won VALORANT Challengers 2024 DACH: Evolution Split 2 and qualified for VCT Ascension EMEA 2024, but it failed to secure promotion after a fifth to sixth-place finish in Ascension.
Under the current model, teams outside partner leagues face short competitive windows, limited prize money and a single promotion route through Ascension. That creates financial risk for organizations that invest without a guaranteed path to revenue-sharing or long-term stability. Several teams have recently re-evaluated their VALORANT operations, including other exits from tier two that were reported earlier this year.
Concerns about the tier-two economy have been raised by players and organizations alike. The VALORANT Players Association published a report warning that the future of tier-two competition is uncertain, citing limited returns on investment and shrinking calendars. Riot Games has taken steps it says are aimed at sustainability, such as permitting betting sponsorships across VALORANT and League of Legends in North America and EMEA and promising some reinvestment into the lower tiers; Riot discussed that move in June 2025. MOUZ’s exit adds pressure to an already fragile pathway for non-partner teams. The organization did not outline next steps for its players or staff in the announcement.
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