Esport Mebabybay weighs VCT China move as G2 lines up Sato for 2027
Andrej 'babybay' Francisty is reportedly fielding offers from VCT China organisations after G2 Esports moved to replace him with former Leviatán player Sato, according to Sheep Esports.
G2 Esports has reportedly decided to part ways with Andrej 'babybay' Francisty ahead of the 2027 VALORANT season, with the American duelist now said to be weighing offers from teams competing in VCT China, according to reporting by Sheep Esports relayed by Esports Insider.
No Chinese organisation has been named, and no agreement is confirmed. Sheep Esports' sources indicate babybay intended to remain in China once VALORANT Champions Shanghai concluded so he could properly evaluate the offers on the table, with his time competing in the region reportedly shaping that priority.
The call to move on from babybay was reportedly made inside G2 before Champions Shanghai even began, according to the report. His replacement is expected to be Eduardo 'Sato' Nagahama, who most recently played for Leviatán in VCT Americas.
G2's 2026 campaign ended on a high despite the looming roster change. The side advanced out of its Champions Shanghai group and beat both 100 Thieves and T1 in the playoffs before finishing in the top four, with Sheep Esports noting babybay was the team's second-highest-rated player across the event.
That international run built on a season in which G2 also claimed the VCT Americas Stage 1 title and secured qualification for Masters Santiago.
Babybay's path to this point has been unusual. He stepped away from competitive play at the end of 2023 before returning to the scene in August 2025, when G2 brought him in for Stage 2 as a replacement for Nathan 'leaf' Orf.
That stint produced a stage title and a berth at Champions Paris, though leaf rejoined the roster before that tournament took place. Babybay stayed on with G2 into the 2026 season after Jonah 'JonahP' Pulice departed for Sentinels at the end of 2025.
What comes next hinges on whether a VCT China organisation and babybay can reach terms. Esports Insider's reporting does not identify a front-runner or give any indication of timing, leaving the move as a genuine possibility rather than a done deal.
G2, for its part, appears to be building towards 2027 around Sato as babybay's successor, with the VCT China roster picture still taking shape heading into the new season.