Leviatán reportedly not renewing Sato for VCT 2027 season

Winning a team its first-ever international championship is usually a pretty solid argument for keeping your job. Eduardo “Sato” Nagahama Sato apparently didn’t get the memo, or rather, Leviatán didn’t.

The Argentine esports organization is reportedly declining to renew the Brazilian duelist’s contract for the 2027 VALORANT Champions Tour season. Sato, who was instrumental in Leviatán’s historic Masters London 2026 victory, is now actively exploring options with other teams as the competitive landscape prepares for a seismic structural shift.

From championship hero to free agent

Sato’s tenure with Leviatán has been, by any reasonable standard, a success story. He joined the roster on May 14, 2025, and within roughly a year helped the team accomplish something it had never done before: win a VCT international title.

That moment came at Masters London 2026, where Leviatán edged out Paper Rex in a grueling 3-2 series.

Sato remains on the active roster alongside in-game leader kiNgg, blowz, Neon, and spikeziN, with his contract running through at least late August 2026. No official statement has come from the organization confirming the non-renewal.

A desire that predates the breakup

The split may not be entirely one-sided. Back in late 2025, before the Masters London triumph even happened, Sato publicly expressed a desire to eventually represent a Brazilian organization. He was careful to frame it as a future aspiration rather than an immediate demand, emphasizing that his focus remained on performing well with Leviatán.

The VCT’s structural revolution changes everything

The 2027 VCT season will transition away from the franchised model to an open-qualifier system. The transfer window opens on November 2, 2026, coinciding with the start of open qualifiers for the 2027 season. That timeline gives Sato and his representation a clear runway to negotiate with prospective teams before the new competitive cycle begins.

For Sato specifically, a player with a fresh international championship on his resume entering free agency right as teams are building rosters for an open-qualifier format is in a strong negotiating position. His previously stated interest in joining a Brazilian organization narrows the likely destination pool.

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