Head coach for T1’s VALORANT team, fRod, has announced that he will be parting ways with T1. Here is fRod’s departure announcement:
Officially LFT, no longer with T1. Difference of ethics and opinions on how to run the team/org. Wish the players the best of luck. Interested in me as a coach in valorant hmu or even to find out more info, DM’s are open, RT’s appreciated
As explained by Daniel “fRoD” Montaner, the reason for his departure was due to a “difference of ethics and opinions on how to run the team or organization”. It’s fair to say that T1 hasn’t had some of the best results lately, especially in the biggest end-of-year event, First Strike. The team placed 5th-8th after falling to the eventual winning team of the entire event, 100 Thieves.
fRod has been with T1 since the beginning and was an essential part of the roster’s success early on. However, as time grew on, other teams were catching on to T1, and were eventually overthrown by the likes of TSM, and the Sentinels.
Here are some of the team’s best results so far:
2nd at T1 x Nerd Street Gamers Showdown – 28th June 2020 – $15,000
5th-8th at First Strike North America – 4th December 2020 – $5,000
3rd-4th at Cloud9 To The Skyes – 20th December 2020 – $3,000
This departure definitely comes as a shock to many, especially T1 fans, but a change within the roster was inevitable, especially after those results.
We cannot wait to see who T1 will be picking up next, and which team fRod will ultimately end up on. Be sure to keep yourself updated on www.esportsguide.com for all your esports news!
In the announcement video, Tenz does not clearly identify the reason as to why he is stepping down from Cloud9. However, later on in the video he does state that he will reevaluate his options once the pandemic is over, and LAN tournaments are back. Leading to the conclusion that he might still have the competitive spirit he once had, and might return to competing, whether it be in VALORANT or any other FPS.
Credits: BLAST
Despite his age, Tenz has experienced a fair share of esports, especially in a 5v5 tactical FPS. He started his career with CS:GO back in 2017, and then went on to play for Cloud9 in 2019. He played with several versions of the CS:GO roster, but ultimately it was unsuccessful, leading him into content creation. Then, with the release of VALORANT, Tenz had a second opportunity at competing in an FPS. The team had a lot of solid results, but unfortunately never sealed a big win.
This is what Tenz had to say about his departure from competitive play:
“Hope everyone can support me in this decision. During this time while I am off the team, I will be dedicating it towards my personal stream/YouTube to produce some more content. I’ll come back to competitive play when I see the time is right. Until next time everyone!”
It’s no secret that Tenz is one of the best aimers in the world, and even though it’s unfortunate that we won’t be seeing him compete in VALORANT any longer, it will be exciting to see what he comes up with in the content creation world.
Make sure you keep yourself updated with all the esports news by tuning into www.esportsguide.com!
Introducing the official global circuit for professional @PlayVALORANT competition // Welcome to the 2021 VALORANT Champions Tour. pic.twitter.com/AIhlpmnvQl
The VALORANT Challengers event is going to be the first of many big regional events around the world. Each region will be having it’s very own individual event, similar to First Strike. This tournament will follow a similar structure in terms of format as well, as it will be kicking off with an open qualification system. Meaning that any team which is deserving of their spot, can compete and earn it!
VALORANT Champions Tour 2021 starting dates
As stated above, the VALORANT Challengers event, which is part of the VALORANT Champions Tour 2021, will be taking place on different dates for each region. The majority of the VALORANT Challengers will be kicking off late January or early February. Here below is a list of the regions, along with their dates.
Brazil – January 30th
CIS – February 11th
Europe – February 11th
Japan – TBD
Korea – January 30th
Latin America – January 26th
North America – February 3rd-7th
Middle East – TBD
South East Asia – February 5th
Turkey – February 11th
Credits: Riot Games
This year is going to be one of the biggest for Esports, especially when it comes to VALORANT. The rest of the dates are still yet to be announced, so until then, be sure to keep yourself updated on www.esportsguide.com for all your important esports news!
It’s truly the season for roster changes, left, right and centre. Indeed, as a content site, it can be quite overwhelming, especially when we want to cover only the most important changes for you. Accordingly, eUnitedVALORANT roster is a big move which we’ll take about in this article!
A recent announcement, the multi-scene organization took to social media to announce the news:
Some new faces, and some returning… It's time to introduce, #eUVAL.
As listed above, this team is no surprise. For those familiar with the scene, this is the former Team Serenity. As a team, the Canadian has shown promise in the lower tier competition of VALORANT. Hence, eUnited VALORANT looks to take the players to the next level with this signing.
eUnited VALORANT – Why is it significant?
Besides the details and names, this is massive for competitive VALORANT. Let me explain why.
Credits: Riot Games
Esports is a business. To get involved, teams need to invest into the esport. Investments come with risks. In conclusion, if a multi-scene organization such as eUnited is willing to invest in VALORANT, it shows that the scene shows promise.
Accordingly, this opens the door for similar esports organization to also hop in. This is usually the domino-effect which guarantees the success of an esport. I have a feeling, that many organizations will be reconsidering the dive with this piece of news, especially with CS:GO on the down low.
In the second weekend of 2021 we had the NSG x Complexity Invitational, a VALORANT event featuring a variety of tier 2 teams. Eventually XSET came out on top as they beat BBG in the Grand Finals, to win $6,000 and be crowned champions of the NSG x Complexity Invitational. Here’s how it all went down.
The first kicked off the event by placing 1st in Group A during the group stage. To get 1st, they initially beat BBG 13-11, and then P! 2-0 in a best of 3. Placing 1st meant that they had qualified for the Quarterfinals of the main event.
Credits: Liquipedia
Playoffs
In the Quarterfinals they matched up versus the Renegades, which at first seemed like a strong opponent. But eventually was nothing else than a mere obstacle as XSET won both maps 13-10 and 13-7 respectively. This victory got them to the Semifinals against Luminosity Gaming, one of the strongest teams at the event. However it seemed like XSET were on an entirely whole other level in this best of 3 series, as they won both maps 16-4.
In their Grand Finals they met with the first team they had played against in the group stage, Built By Gamers. First map BBG’s map pick, Haven, a map which they have a 57% win rate on, and were the definite favourites. Despite this, XSET accumulated their momentum and continued on with their swift performance, winning haven 13-7. Next up was Bind, a map which was just a non-stop dominant session with BBG in the lead, winning the match 13-10. Lastly we had Split as the third and final map. It started out quite close, with the first half concluding with a 7-6 lead for XSET on the defense. Eventually XSET’s offense was stronger, and went on to win the match 13-7 in their favour.
The NSG x Complexity Invitational was a great showing out of some of the top tier-2 teams in the North American VALORANT scene. We cannot wait for what’s in store for VALORANT competition in 2021, but until then…Be sure to keep yourself updated on www.esportsguide.com for all your esports news!
Many Dignitas fans felt nostalgic after seeing the newest rebrand due to the original logo being so iconic. When they first announced their rebrand back in 2018, many felt shook and outraged that they would change such a logo. Nevertheless, the Owl was loved by huge fans of Dignitas, and overtime it felt like it truly was a part of Dignitas.
One of the best parts of this rebrand is that Dignitas are choosing to keep their Black and Yellow layout.
New logo
With this rebranding, Dignitas paid homage to the Evil Geniuses rebranding, where they went into detail on what their logo meant.
Credits: Dignitas
This is what their management had to say about the rebranding:
“The return of Digi is a thrilling moment for the entire Dignitas organization and one we’re confident will excite our current fan base while reengaging idle fans that have long awaited the return of a legendary icon. The reimagined Digi is an original emotive mascot to the world of gaming and esports that will stimulate storytelling and emotional narratives, while becoming an asset unique solely to Dignitas.“
Here in 2021, we’re seeing a lot of teams and organizations rebranding, which is actually for the better. A new year means new beginnings, and we cannot wait for what Dignitas has in store for us this year.
Make sure you keep yourself updated on www.esportsguide.com for all your esports news!
Unfortunately for Riot, another agent’s abilities and look have been leaked. This time, it’s Yoru, a new VALORANT agent releasing with Episode 2 of VALORANT. Here’s all you need to know about agent 14.
Yoru sends out a wave of steps and creates a stepping sound. Press Fire to send forward, or pre-place it by pressing Alternate Fire. You can then press F to send the inactive one forward.
Q – Stun
Yoru throws a stun/flashbang in the direction that he is facing. The stun/flashbang will pop a few seconds after it has contacted a surface.
E – Uninvited Guest
Once E is pressed, Yoru places a portal. To send the portal forward, press Fire. To anchor the portal, press Alternate fire. Press E again to activate the teleport and go through the portal.
X – Spatial Drift
Press ultimate ability to go invisible for all enemies and become invulnerable to all types of damage.
How will Yoru impact the current Agent pool?
Just by looking at his abilities in the video above, you can clearly see the potential that an agent like Yoru has. He gives out a similar playstyle to Reyna with invisibility and quick decision making. We cannot make a clear prediction of how Yoru will impact the agent pool, but we can be certain that he will be picked a decent amount in pro matches and ranked.
Credits: Riot Games
Many have argued that a duelist is the last thing that they want as a new agent, especially with the only useful smoke agents being Omen and Brimstone. As per Riot’s announcement of an agent every 2 months, we can expect more impactful agents in the coming months.
More news about Yoru will be released soon, so be sure to keep yourself updated on www.esportsguide.com for more esports news!
After G2’s disappointing result at First Strike, it was clear that the team needed to make some changes. With Davidp getting released last month, it was clear that G2 were searching for a proper in-game leader. Zeek may not be familiar to many, but his best moments in VALORANT were with the Nolpenki roster. With this team, he managed to reach the regional finals of First Strike, and place 5th-8th after a crushing defeat against FPX.
Credits: X-Kom AGO
What agent will Zeek be playing for G2?
Due to Ardiis solidifying his role as the team’s Sova, it is still unclear whether Zeek will move on to a new agent or force Ardiis to switch. In-Game leaders tend to lean towards an agent like Sova due to the information that he gathers, which help IGL’s make quick and concise decisions on their next move. We will have to see in due time, if the signing does eventually happen.
If the move goes through, this is how the new G2 lineup will look like:
Despite Zeek not having a Counter-Strike background, he has shown everyone, time and time again, that he has what it takes to compete in an FPS at a very high level.
Be sure to keep yourself updated with www.esportsguide.com for more esports news!
VALORANT was Riot Games’ biggest surprise for all FPS players. The tactical based shooter was first announced in late 2019, during Riot’s anniversary event, and it has already reached 7 months since it’s full launch. In this article we’ll be going over VALORANT’s remarkable 2020, what made it what it is today, and how it impacted the esports industry.
Credits: Riot Games
VALORANT’s remarkable 2020 – Game Release and First look
VALORANT’s closed beta kicked off on the 7th of April. To gain access, one had to get lucky enough to get a key by watching a featured twitch streamer. Unfortunately for some, there were a select few regions that were whitelisted, and they were; Europe, Canada, United States, Turkey, Russia and CIS countries. VALORANT officially launched on June 2nd, and just 2 weeks after its release, Riot introduced the Ignition Series, the first step to building VALORANT’s esports scene.
VALORANT’s impact on CS:GO and other Esports
VALORANT’s release impacted many Esports games and genres, especially FPS games. But the one game that suffered the most was CS:GO. Riot Games made VALORANT with the intention of competing with the current top dogs of FPS Esports. And at the helm, was none other than Valve’s Counter-Strike Global Offensive. When VALORANT was first introduced, Anna “SuperCakes” Donlon, Executive Producer for VALORANT addressed new features which CS:GO lacked. For example; server tick rates, peeker’s advantage, and most importantly, the Anticheat. This was the game’s main selling point, and there’s no doubt that it paid off.
In fact, North America’s CS:GO scene has been pretty much stated as dead. This was due to the few remaining teams that flew over to Europe and competed there. The majority of tier 2 CS:GO players departed their main game to pursue a new career in VALORANT. And some were lucky enough to find a solid team, whereas others, not so much.
Fortnite and other battle royale games suffered quite a bit as well. With VALORANT’s release, prominent figures like Ninja and Psalm switched over to the new FPS game, with hopes to go pro, or at least pursue a new esport title.
Credits: Riot Games
As mentioned above, VALORANT kicked off its esports scene with the Ignition Series. The Ignition Series allowed 20 esports organizations to host their very own versions of a VALORANT tournament. There were 26 tournaments overall, and a total of $571,847 was distributed as prize money between each and every event. G2 Esports were renowned as Europe’s most dominant roster, and in North America, we had TSM and Sentinels trading places for the #1 spot.
VALORANT Tournaments
After the Ignition Series’ concluded, Riot Games’ introduced the VALORANTFirst Strike event. This was the first event hosted by Riot Games themselves. First Strike was considered as VALORANT’s biggest event, equaling to what a Major in CS:GO would look like. The event consisted of multiple stages of qualifying, so that every single team with potential could reach the main event. Here we saw major upsets happening in Europe, as G2 fell against the eventual winners of First Strike Europe, Team Heretics. And in North America we had a new and fresh 100 Thieves roster dominating their region to claim #1.
Credits: Riot Games
VALORANT’s remarkable 2020 – Conclusion
Riot Games have taken the best approach when it comes to creating a new FPS game. In its 7 months of release, the game has already impacted the lives of many. Riot have impressed us all year long, and we cannot wait to see what they have planned next, for 2021.
Ever since its release, we’ve believed in the esports potential of VALORANT. Accordingly, after its first year, there’s been an overwhelmingly positive response from the community. Indeed, there’s a demand for growth, bigger events and greater prize pools. Riot Games is answering through the VALORANTEsports2021 roadmap!
The newly announced 2021VALORANTChampionsTour is the centre of next year’s Tier 1 scene. To do so, the VCT structure will consist of three tiers:
VALORANT Challengers – regional competition
VALORANT Masters – top teams from each region claim seeds for Champions – 3 times a year
The VALORANT Champions – the best of the best, crowning a World Championship – 2-week-long tournament at the end of the season
Summarized in one list, we have 8 events to look forward to for next year’s VALORANT Esports 2021:
February – VALORANT Challengers 1
March – VALORANT Masters 1
April-May – VALORANT Challengers 2
June – VALORANT Masters 2
July-Aug – VALORANT Challengers 3
September – VALORANT Masters 3
October – Last Chance Qualifier for Champions
November-December – VALORANT Champions
Credits: Riot Games
So, what else can we tell you? To begin with, Challenger Final tournaments and Majors will be held online. Accordingly, performances at MASTERS will determine your seed for Champions.
Indeed, Riot Games has expressed a strong interest to host the Champions event offline. Hopefully, this will be possible.
Note that besides the Tier 1 structure, expect third party organizers such as DreamHack, BLAST and ESL to punctuate the season with events of their own.
