G2 Esports has announced a new North American Valorant team after months of planning its continental expansion.
The Berlin-based organization has introduced a team that will compete in the Valorant Challengers in the North American region, featuring well-known individuals from across the team. G2 had earlier parted ways with their EMEA roster led by Óscar “mixwell” Colocho and men.
After failing to acquire a franchise spot with Riot Games, which would have guaranteed G2 a berth in the Americas international league, the organization has decided to enter the Challengers division.
British coach Ian “Immi” Harding, a former CS:GO player who switched to Riot’s hero FPS shortly after its 2020 release, will lead G2 Valorant. Former Sentinels players Shahzeb “ShahZaM” Khan and Michael “dapr” Gulino from the U.S., Canadian Erik “penny” Penny, Russian Maxim “wippie” Shepelev, and young American prospect “OXY” will be coached by the Brit.
Alban Dechelotte, managing director of G2 Esports, said the team has “always been in love with Valorant” because it hosted the inaugural EMEA Ignition Series Tournament and won the Game Changers tournament with G2 Gozen, an all-female team, in October 2021.
“We’re coming to North America with the ambition to take the opportunity that Riot Games offers us to earn our spot in the International League through the Ascension Tournament. In the last six years, we have seen how supportive G2 fans are of our successes and also of our memes in North America,” stated Alban Dechelotte in the press release.
G2 Esports, on the other hand, possesses the potential to earn a spot in the international league. The strongest teams outside the league will play in the Challengers circuit next year to qualify for Ascension, a new circuit.
The strongest Challengers teams from North America, Latin America, and South America will face off against one another at Ascension in the Americas. In 2024, the top team from the circuit will advance to the global league.
Despite the fact that G2 was kicked out of the Valorant agreement, the team is still in the running for a position in the international competition. Ascension is the name of the new circuit that will be created for the purpose of providing clubs with the opportunity to compete for a position in the world league.
It is yet to be determined whether or not G2 will be able to win their way back into Valorant’s most important and competitive circuit.
The Valorant expansion is the continuation of the G2 U.S. story in Rocket League and Fortnite, and we can’t wait to write this new and successful chapter,” he concluded.
G2 Esports Valorant Roster:
- Shahzeb “ShahZaM” Khan (In-game Leader)
- Erik “penny” Penny
- Michael “dapr” Gulino
- Maxim “wippie” Shepelev
- Francis “OXY” Hoang
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