ENVY signs keznit and Rossy to complete VCT Americas 2026 roster

North American organization ENVY has officially announced its roster ahead of VCT Americas Kickoff 2026, confirming the signings of Angelo “keznit” Mori and Daniel “Rossy” Abedrabbo. The additions complete a lineup that also features Matteo “P0PPIN” Weber, “Eggsterr,” and Hunter “Inspire” Schline, with Dakota “Stunner” MacLeod and Alvaro “WKN” Bustos rounding out the coaching staff.

The announcement comes after ENVY captured the Americas Ascension 2025 trophy, earning promotion to the franchised league. However, their triumphant qualification was immediately complicated by roster restrictions as two of the team’s star players who led them through Ascension, canezerra and ion2x, are unable to compete in VCT due to age eligibility requirements. Both players remain under 18 years old, forcing ENVY to seek experienced replacements ahead of their Tier 1 debut.

keznit: A KRÜ Legend Seeks Fresh Start

Stepping in to fill canezerra’s duelist role is keznit, one of Latin America’s most recognizable and accomplished players. For nearly five years, the Chilean star represented KRÜ Esports, becoming synonymous with the organization’s pink jersey and establishing himself as one of the region’s most consistent performers.

During his tenure with KRÜ, spanning two separate stints from 2021-2022 and 2023-2025, keznit helped the organization qualify for eight international events. Most notably, KRÜ achieved an unprecedented streak of four consecutive Champions appearances from 2021 to 2024, with keznit serving as a cornerstone of their roster.

The 2024 season represented KRÜ’s competitive peak with keznit in the lineup. The team secured a third-place finish at Americas Stage 2, earning their spot at Champions Berlin. However, 2025 proved far less kind. KRÜ posted disappointing fifth-sixth and seventh-eighth place finishes in Stages 1 and 2 respectively, failing to qualify for Champions for the first time since 2020. Keznit’s role shifted throughout the year from primary duelist to secondary duelist and even flexing onto controller and initiator agents.

Following KRÜ’s decision to rebuild around other pieces, including the signings of world champions saadhak and Less, keznit announced his restricted free agency in September 2025. Now, he joins ENVY seeking to recapture the international success that defined his earlier years while proving he remains among the Americas’ top duelists.

Rossy’s Redemption Arc Continues

Replacing ion2x on smokes is Rossy, a player whose 2025 season became one of VALORANT’s most tumultuous storylines. After spending 2024 with T1 in the Pacific region, Rossy entered the offseason as one of the most sought-after free agents in the Americas, a versatile player capable of filling multiple roles while providing in-game leadership.

His signing with Cloud9 ahead of the 2025 season appeared to be the perfect fit. Rossy was set to become the team’s primary IGL, bringing structure to a roster featuring explosive talents like OXY and Zellsis. However, the partnership lasted mere weeks. Cloud9 abruptly dropped Rossy before the season even began, citing concerns about his micromanagement style and fit within the team. The shocking benching left Rossy scrambling for opportunities while also raising questions about Cloud9’s decision-making process.

LEVIATÁN threw Rossy a lifeline midway through 2025, signing him for Stage 1 competition. Unfortunately, LEV managed just one win throughout the entire stage, missing playoffs entirely and prompting immediate roster changes. Rossy found himself benched once again, his reputation damaged by consecutive failed tenures despite showing individual promise. Now with ENVY, Rossy gets his third chance to prove his worth at the highest level. His experience as an IGL, combined with his ability to play controller and sentinel roles, provides valuable flexibility for a young roster making its VCT debut.

ENVY’s Remarkable Journey to VCT

The core of ENVY’s roster—P0PPIN, Eggsterr, and Inspire—represents one of competitive VALORANT’s most unlikely success stories. What began as a Premier team of ranked grinders and content creators evolved into a dominant Challengers force, eventually earning promotion to the pinnacle of North American competition.

After acquiring the RANKERS roster in March 2025, ENVY weathered a rocky Stage 1 before finding their rhythm. They captured the Stage 2 championship and finished second in Stage 3, building momentum heading into Ascension. Their dominant playoff run, which saw them exact revenge on TSM twice en route to the trophy, validated their approach and secured the organization’s return to VCT for the first time since 2022.

ENVY’s path to VCT Americas was nothing short of remarkable. Originally formed as RANKERS, a team of ranked grinders and streamers assembled by Inspire, the squad dominated the North American Challengers circuit throughout 2025. Their aggressive, unpredictable playstyle, featuring Eggsterr’s signature Yoru one-trick gameplay and canezerra’s explosive duelist performances, earned them comparisons to Paper Rex and captivated fans across the region.

At Americas Ascension 2025, canezerra emerged as the tournament’s standout performer. The 17-year-old duelist posted a stellar performance with 253 ACS and a plus-12 kill-death differential across the event, leading ENVY to a convincing victory over TSM in the grand finals.  Despite their instrumental roles in securing ENVY’s promotion, Riot Games’ age eligibility rules mandate that all VCT competitors must be at least 18 years old. Canezerra won’t reach that threshold until March 2026, potentially allowing him to join for Stage 2, while ion2x cannot compete until 2027. The harsh reality means ENVY must enter their maiden VCT season without two of the players who helped make it possible.

ENVY’s chance in 2026

ENVY enters the 2026 season with perhaps the most unique roster construction in VCT Americas. However, significant questions linger about their ability to compete against the region’s powerhouses. The loss of canezerra and ion2x cannot be understated. Both players were integral to ENVY’s aggressive, high-tempo style that overwhelmed Tier 2 competition. Keznit and Rossy, while experienced, bring fundamentally different strengths and weaknesses. Keznit’s more calculated duelist play contrasts with canezerra’s explosive aggression, while Rossy’s troubled recent history raises concerns about chemistry and communication.

Additionally, the leap from Tier 2 to Tier 1 competition presents its own challenges. ENVY’s unconventional strategies and compositions, most notably Eggsterr’s exclusive Yoru play, worked brilliantly in Challengers, but may struggle against teams like MIBR, G2 Esports, NRG, and LEVIATÁN who have refined their game plans at the international level for years. On the positive side, ENVY’s chemistry as a core unit remains intact. Three-fifths of their Ascension-winning roster returns, maintaining the communication patterns and teamwork that carried them to promotion.

Continuing the legacy.

Your ENVY VALORANT roster for VCT 2026. pic.twitter.com/XnUaagrDsx

— ENVY (@Envy) January 9, 2026

Beyond the roster itself, ENVY’s return to VCT represents a nostalgic moment for longtime VALORANT fans. The organization competed during the game’s earliest days, fielding a legendary roster featuring Jaccob “yay” Whiteaker and Pujan “FNS” Mehta that achieved international success before being acquired by OpTic Gaming in 2022. After three years away from the top tier, ENVY owner Mike “Hastr0” Rufail’s decision to re-enter VALORANT and invest in the RANKERS project has paid immediate dividends.

Now, as they prepare to face Evil Geniuses in their first VCT match on January 15, ENVY carries the weight of expectations tempered by reality. If the chemistry clicks and the unconventional strategies translate to the highest level, ENVY could emerge as the season’s biggest surprise. If not, at least they’ll provide must-watch entertainment as one of VCT’s most unique rosters attempts to prove that ranked grinders can hang with the world’s elite.