Defending champions do not always defend well. Team Heretics, who claimed the Esports World Cup title in 2025, were sent home from the EWC 2026 VALORANT tournament in Paris after dropping a 1-2 series to BBL Esports in the group stage on or around July 8-9.
The loss stings a little more given the context. Heretics had looked sharp just days earlier, posting a clean 2-0 victory over MIBR.LOS on July 5 to advance into the playoffs. Then BBL showed up and ended the run entirely.
What happened in Paris
The EWC 2026 VALORANT event runs from July 2 to July 12, featuring a 16-team field in a double-elimination format before playoffs begin. The prize pool across the full EWC event exceeds $75 million, spread across multiple esports disciplines, making it one of the largest multi-title prize structures in competitive gaming.
BBL Esports held their nerve across three maps and sent the Spanish squad packing. Double-elimination formats exist precisely for situations like this: a team loses once, they get another shot. Heretics used that structure to rebound after an earlier stumble, but the second loss closes the door for good.
