Even Team Vitality's recently won StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2026 trophy was not spared from the looters.
French esports organisation Team Vitality has confirmed that its V.Hive headquarters in Paris was looted and vandalised during nationwide protests in France on Saturday (17 October), resulting in the theft of esports trophies and computer equipment.
In an official statement released on Sunday (18 October), the organisation confirmed that its display windows had been destroyed and several valuable items stolen. Fortunately, no staff members or fans were injured during the incident.
"Today, the premises of our club were looted on the sidelines of the mobilisation on October 17," Team Vitality said in a machine-translated statement. "Fortunately, none of our staff members nor any fans were injured. On the other hand, our display windows were destroyed, and our trophies and computer equipment were stolen."
The organisation added that V.Hive would remain closed while the full extent of the damage is assessed, with further updates to be provided at a later date. It concluded its statement by urging everyone to stay safe.
The incident has also drawn a personal response from Team Vitality co-founder and CEO Fabien "Neo" Devide, who described his heartbreak at seeing a venue built to bring the esports community together become a target of the unrest.
What happened to Team Vitality's V.Hive headquarters in Paris?
Located on Boulevard de Sébastopol in central Paris, V.Hive was among the establishments targeted by looters during the demonstrations on Saturday.
Videos circulating on social media show the venue's glass windows shattered, with individuals entering the premises and carrying away various items. Other footage shows gaming chairs being removed from the building, with some reportedly thrown into a fire burning outside. One particularly striking clip shows an individual carrying what appears to be a computer monitor away from the venue, while others can be seen moving through the damaged storefront.
Among the items taken was a trophy belonging to Team Vitality's Counter-Strike 2 team, with another video showing an individual carrying the trophy through the streets. The trophy was from StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2026, which Team Vitality won less than a month before the looting.
Team Vitality's CS2 roster claimed the StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2026 title on 20 September after defeating Aurora Gaming 3-1 in the grand final in Barcelona, Spain.
The victory marked the team's first championship since May and its sixth trophy of 2026 at the time, adding another achievement to an already successful competitive season.
Team Vitality has confirmed that multiple trophies were stolen but the organisation has not yet disclosed a complete list of the missing trophies.
What did Team Vitality's CEO say about the V.Hive looting?
In a statement posted on X on Saturday, Devide recalled growing up in an era when home internet access was prohibitively expensive, with cybercafés providing one of the few affordable ways for young people to discover online gaming. Those experiences would eventually inspire V.Hive, a venue designed to make esports accessible while bringing the gaming community together.
He explained that V.Hive was created with the same accessibility in mind, offering gaming sessions for €3.50 per hour to ensure that teenagers and people with limited financial means could participate in the gaming community. "Despite inflation, we have never raised our rates," he said, according to a machine translation of his statement.
Beyond affordable gaming, Devide described V.Hive as a symbol of Team Vitality's growth and its determination to demonstrate how esports can bring people together through shared experiences.
His comments also came at an emotional moment for the organisation, with Team Vitality's VALORANT roster having reached the Grand Final of VALORANT Champions 2026 in Shanghai, China. "I just lived a waking dream with our performance in Shanghai, and today, thousands of kilometres away, I see a part of me go up in smoke," Devide said.
Despite his disappointment, the CEO stressed that he continued to support the right to protest and acknowledged those demonstrating for causes they believe in. However, he condemned the looting and destruction that accompanied the demonstrations.
"The right to demonstrate is a fundamental freedom that I will defend all my life," he said, before stressing that looting and destruction had no place in such movements. Devide ended his statement on a sombre note, saying that he was simply filled with sorrow over what had happened to the venue.
Opened in 2019, V.Hive serves as Team Vitality's headquarters and a community hub for esports enthusiasts in Paris. The roughly 400-square-metre facility houses gaming stations, a café, a merchandise store, and spaces used for training sessions and community activities. Over the years, the venue has welcomed fans for gaming sessions, tournaments, viewing parties, and other esports-related events, making it an important physical meeting place for Team Vitality's supporters.
Why are protests and riots happening across France?
The attack on V.Hive occurred amid widespread civil unrest across France on Saturday, as hundreds of thousands of people participated in demonstrations over rising living costs, worsening public services, and concerns about education.
The protests followed weeks of student-led demonstrations over conditions in French schools, including concerns about inadequate resources and staffing shortages. The movement subsequently expanded to include trade unions, workers, and members of the Yellow Vest movement, which previously organised major demonstrations against economic inequality and government policies.
According to Agence France-Presse (AFP), France's Interior Ministry estimated that around 550,000 people participated in demonstrations across the country on Saturday, while the CGT trade union placed the figure at 800,000.
Although the majority of demonstrations were peaceful, clashes erupted between police and groups of rioters in Paris and several other French cities. Masked individuals reportedly smashed storefronts, looted establishments, set vehicles on fire, and erected burning barricades in the streets. Authorities responded with tear gas and water cannons as the violence escalated. By late Saturday, French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu reported approximately 1,200 arrests and 150 injured police officers.
What else was looted and destroyed during the Paris riots?
Team Vitality's V.Hive was one of numerous establishments damaged during Saturday's unrest, with widespread looting reported across Paris and other French cities.
According to French news outlet TF1, shops near Place de la République were targeted by groups who smashed windows and stole merchandise. Among the affected establishments were a mobile phone shop, a cosmetics retailer, and a major sporting goods store.
Similar incidents were reported elsewhere in the capital, with supermarkets, clothing shops, pharmacies, and electronics retailers also targeted. Beyond Paris, fires and vandalism damaged public buildings in several cities, including Limoges, Marseille, Lille, and Lyon.
Paris Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire condemned the destruction while stressing the importance of distinguishing the actions of looters from those demonstrating peacefully. The City of Paris similarly denounced the violence and reaffirmed the right to peaceful protest.
For Team Vitality, attention now turns to assessing the damage to V.Hive and determining when the facility can safely reopen to fans. The organisation has yet to confirm the full extent of its losses, including which trophies were stolen, or announce a reopening date.
With V.Hive temporarily closed, one of Paris' most recognisable esports community spaces has been left facing an uncertain recovery following a weekend of unrest.
