Xi Lai Gaming has allowed Aleksandr “hvoya” Eremin to explore his options this upcoming offseason, according to VLR.gg. The report says his current deal with XLG runs through the end of the 2026 season, so he remains under contract through Champions Shanghai.
The timing follows another strong year for the Chinese organization. Hvoya has coached XLG since the start of the 2024 season, and the team has won at several levels during his tenure. XLG took China National Competition: Season 2, then won China Ascension later that year, before building that success into a VCT title the following season.
That rise continued in 2026. XLG qualified for every international event and finished 5th-6th at Masters London, which VLR.gg says is the team’s best-ever result on the international stage. The organization has gone from domestic contender to regular international presence in a short period, with hvoya at the center of that climb.
Hvoya’s first coaching job came after years as a player
XLG was hvoya’s first coaching position in professional Valorant. He entered the esport in 2020 and played for a string of rosters before moving to the bench. Those teams included Russia’s CrowСrowd, AG, Team Singularity, Spain’s KPI Gaming, France’s beGenius, India’s Reckoning Esports and Germany’s Irregulars.
His playing career also included several short stints with rosters that did not become long-term homes. The path helps explain why the move to coaching stood out: hvoya went from circulating through regional lineups to guiding one of China’s most successful recent teams.
Once he took over XLG, the results came quickly. The roster won China National Competition: Season 2, then lifted China Ascension later in 2024. Those wins set up the team’s rise into the top tier, where XLG later collected its first VCT title and reached two international events in the next year.
In 2026, the team showed it could stay relevant at the highest level rather than peak once and fade. VLR.gg notes that XLG hit every international event on the calendar and still managed to post its best global finish yet with the Masters London top-six result.
XLG has done this before
This is not the first offseason in which XLG has let hvoya test the market. The organization also allowed him to explore options last year before bringing him back on a new deal during the same offseason. That history suggests the team has been comfortable leaving the door open while keeping its core intact.
According to Riot’s VCT Global Contract Database, hvoya’s contract currently runs through the end of the 2026 season. Any move would therefore depend on XLG deciding to release him or arrange a transfer, even if his camp is free to speak with other teams.
The report does not name a destination or say that talks with another team have started. It only confirms that XLG has given him permission to consider opportunities again, leaving his next step unresolved as the offseason approaches.
A roster that already looks settled
While hvoya’s situation is open-ended, XLG’s player lineup does not appear headed for major changes. VLR.gg says the organization is not set to make roster moves this offseason, with all six players contracted through at least the 2027 season. WsLeo and Sharks are signed even longer, with deals that run through 2028.
The team’s active roster currently includes WsLeo, Sharks, Lysoar, NoMan, Rarga and happywei. With those contracts in place, the main personnel question around XLG is the coach rather than the players.
That stability matters because the organization has already built its recent success around continuity. XLG moved from China’s domestic circuit to Ascension, then into VCT, without a major reset in the middle of the process. Hvoya has been the constant through each stage.
He has also been the figure most directly tied to the team’s jump in results. The domestic title, the Ascension win, the first VCT championship and the 2026 international appearances all came after he took charge, giving XLG one of the more compact success stories in the region.
The current situation leaves room for a repeat of last year’s offseason pattern, when permission to look elsewhere did not result in an immediate split. It also leaves open the possibility that another organization could try to pull him away after two years of strong results and a proven track record on an international stage.
Earlier in the offseason cycle, GAMER2GO also reported on other Valorant players weighing options, including PCIFIC IGL qpert saying he is exploring options for 2027. Hvoya’s situation fits that wider pattern of teams and coaches taking stock after a long season of qualifying runs and international travel.
For XLG, the immediate question is whether a coach who helped carry the team from China National Competition to Masters London stays in place for another year, or whether this offseason finally produces a change after back-to-back seasons of letting him shop around.
The part that hvoya is still under contract through Champions Shanghai is the real wrinkle here. Feels like XLG want leverage, not a clean breakup.
Or they just hedge their bets
that is leverage lol
Yeah, but if the contract is still live, the door only opens if XLG want it to. That makes it a lot less ‘free market’ than it looks.
XLG letting him shop again after another big year sounds very on brand for a team that knows it can keep winning without panic moves. Why fix the thing that is already printing trophies, eh.
I dont buy that. If the coach is the reason for the climb, you dont casually let him browse while saying everything is stable.
fair, but XLG already did the same last year and still kept the core. Bit weird, but maybe they are just too chill for their own good.
This reminds me of a Roblox project I worked on where the lead builder kept ‘exploring other opportunities’ every few months while still being on the team. Nothing ever fully broke, but the uncertainty killed momentum because everyone kept wondering if we should design around him or not. Same vibe here. A coach can be the glue, but if the org keeps leaving that question open, players start to feel it even when results are good.
he is gone this offseason
contract says otherwise
you think a contract stops every move? come on, teams talk around that all the time
Sure, but the report literally says permission to explore, not a release. In pro Valorant that matters a lot more than people think, especially when the org can still ask for a transfer fee.
yeah, fair point
xlg is playing chess
or just keeping options open until someone overpays. feels more like business than chess tbh.
Masters London 5th-6th is huge for a first coaching job. Going from domestic wins to that in two years is pretty clean proof he can build a team, not just ride one hot split.
international results still not enough
for some orgs it is. especially when the team keeps qualifying
Sure, and some orgs also keep bad coaches forever because ‘stability’. Doesn’t make it smart.
i get that, but here the pattern is different. XLG did not just sit in the same spot, they climbed from China National Competition to Ascension to a VCT title, then held up internationally in 2026. That is more than a lucky run, and hvoya was there for all of it. If another team wants him, I can see why XLG would at least listen instead of locking the door immediately.
my ranked stack does this too lol
same here, but ours is for ego not titles
yeah, except XLG at least have the trophies to flex. my stack just flames each other and queues again.
Mine also. We call it ‘roster stability’ and then nobody shows up
The most interesting bit is the contract running through 2026 while XLG already gave permission to talk. That usually means they are either setting the price early or they are fine with a sale if someone comes in serious. With the roster also locked through 2027 and WsLeo/Sharks even longer, the coach is basically the only moving part. I actually think that helps XLG more than it hurts them, because a stable player core plus a fresh coach decision can be easier to manage than a full rebuild. Still, if hvoya is the one who helped turn them into a regular international team, letting him test the market again feels like a real risk.
That is a stretch
Maybe a bit, but not by much. If the same core is already signed long term, the coach is the cleanest place to test change without tearing up the roster.
fair enough, we’ll see
do you think they keep him?
Probably. Last year they let him look around and still brought him back, so I would expect the same unless another team makes it awkward.
Not sure. XLG having all six players locked long term can also mean they want a new voice while keeping the roster. Coaches are often the easiest change when a team already has stable players, and this kind of permission can be the first step to a real switch. If another org offers a better project, hvoya might take it and XLG could just move on without touching the lineup.
yeah, fair, coach slot is the swing one