Venomcrest ceases operations for 2026, UK League bids farewell to an iconic grassroots org

Hannah Marie ZT, Senior Editor

Last Updated: 05/01/2026

After four and a half years competing in regional League of Legends, Venomcrest founder Jack ‘Ace’ Doe has confirmed that they will cease operations for 2026.

Venomcrest became a staple of the UK grassroots League of Legends scene during this time, leaving behind a legacy that will not be forgotten. 

Venomcrest founder writes final send-off, honouring the organisation’s legacy

In a post written by Jack ‘Ace’ Doe, Founder of Venomcrest Esports, the UK grassroots organisation’s legacy was cemented in a send-off honouring its achievements. 

“I set out with two main goals when founding VNC, the first was to create as many opportunities for people to compete in esports and get to experience the joy that comes from this, & the second goal was to win the NLC.”

Venomcrest was able to achieve both of these goals, even surpassing them in some regards:

“Firstly, with over 70 LoL players coming through in both the main teams and the academy rosters to represent the crest, and in turn build their own careers, with many of those players going on to even greater heights. On top of this, we have ventured into TF2 & FIFA along the way, getting to meet even more amazing people.”

The organisation competed in several regional League of Legends circuits. This includes their perfect UKEL League of Legends Div 1 run in 2025, landing them a prosecco-spraying victory atop a makeshift F1-style podium. 

Most impactful, though, was their NLC victory, fulfilling the second goal outlined by Ace:

“In the summer of 2024 we achieved our second goal and we won the NLC, & then went on to represent our region at EMEA Masters, something not all organizations can say they have done. Putting in the work and getting to see it pay off in such an amazing way was an amazing journey to experience!”  

The challenges of operating a UK grassroots organisation

In October 2025, Ace had published a video discussing Venomcrest’s future as a UK grassroots organisation. The organisation still planned to continue competing at the time of the video’s recording. However, it was clear that maintaining momentum was difficult.

In his video, Ace reflected on how, in 2025, it became challenging to beat the successes of the years prior. 

Venomcrest certainly had a more difficult 2025 season compared to their 2023 and 2024 heydays. For Ace, his personal journey through grief amplified these competitive struggles. While the organisation fought to regain its competitive footing, his father passed away. 

Nevertheless, he still sang praises of the organisation’s academy and UKEL successes.

Overall, he recognised how it had “been a tough year,” and at the time, 2026 was “an unknown.” When the video was published, he stated plans to continue competing in some form in the new year. 

However, this path is now not one the organisation will be undertaking.

Vitally, Ace noted in his final post how valuable the support has been from the League of Legends community:

“I am honoured by everyone who has supported my organization over the years – your support has been invaluable to me in times of struggle. I am so grateful for everyone who has helped me along the way and in turn thankful for everyone who made Venomcrest what it was – a small org with big dreams!”

The UK League of Legends ecosystem has lost one of its iconic organisations. Nevertheless, Venomcrest certainly made strides in demonstrating the region’s esports talent.

Hannah Marie ZT, Senior Editor

Hannah is a journalist specialising in the esports, gaming, and technology sectors. Working for outlets such as Dot Esports, Esports Insider, and of course ENUK, she has developed a love for wider esports, Apex Legends, and advocating for women's esports initiatives. You may have seen her at various esports and gaming events, including ALGS LANs, ESI London, EGX, and watch parties.

All Posts By Hannah Marie ZT