NRG has bid farewell to one of its long-standing players, s0m. The announcement came as no surprise to many, as s0m has been hinting the same since the past few weeks. With this departure, the ongoing roster shakeup in VCT Americas continues to unfold.
Sam “s0m” Oh, one of the biggest names in the valorant streaming space, had already given a glimpse of his plans when he mentioned on his stream that he intended to shift his focus to streaming while keeping an eye out for the right opportunity. This statement left fans speculating about his future with NRG.
NRG Parts Ways with s0m as Valorant Roster Mania Continues
On September 13, NRG officially confirmed s0m’s departure from their roster after a remarkable three-year stint with the organization. In a farewell video, s0m acknowledged that the decision was not entirely unexpected, but it was ultimately his choice to step away from competitive play for the time being.
In his own words, s0m explained his rationale, stating, “This next year, I kind of just took a step back and decided that I’m just going to stream for now, and then if there comes an opportunity, or I see an opportunity I can take, or I can make one, then I’ll come back to competing.”
During his time with NRG, s0m not only contributed to the team’s competitive success but also grew his personal brand as one of Valorant‘s most popular streamers. His streams consistently drew thousands of viewers, solidifying his presence in both the professional and streaming realms of the game.
NRG had made significant changes to their roster by signing several players from the 2022 OpTic roster, with s0m adapting to the Controller role. Throughout 2023, the team achieved commendable results, finishing as the runners-up in VCT Americas and securing a top-four placement at Master Tokyo.
However, the season took an unexpected turn as NRG suffered back-to-back losses to Bilibili Gaming, leading to their early exit from Valorant Champions during the group stage.
Interestingly, s0m’s off-season plans have influenced NRG’s in-game leader, Pujan “FNS” Mehta, who has also chosen to prioritize streaming and await potential opportunities. Nevertheless, NRG has yet to provide any updates regarding the future of their star IGL.
In addition to s0m’s departure, Ardis “ardiis” Svarenieks, another prominent player on NRG, is reportedly rejoining his former FPX teammates at NAVI in the EMEA region, further fueling the ongoing roster changes in Valorant.
As the VCT Americas’ roster changes continue, the Valorant Pro community will be closely watching to see how these changes impact the competitive landscape and which opportunities arise for these talented players in the future.
