Finally, the announcement has made its way: The Guard’s roster has been taken over by G2, making them the 11th team to participate in the franchise league.
For the past month, everyone was shocked to see The Guard announce that they’re leaving the Pro Valorant scene despite winning the ascension and, in turn, giving up their franchise spot. Well, things have now taken a turn for the good, and it looks like the roster will compete on the big stage.
The Guard’s Valorant Roster Finds New Home with G2 Esports in VCT Americas
Riot Games recently revealed that the VCT Americas league is expanding to accommodate 11 teams. The driving force behind this expansion is none other than G2 Esports, one of the most elite organizations in the esports industry.
With their acquisition of the former The Guard Valorant roster, G2 Esports is poised to make a mark on the North American Valorant scene.
The roster that secured G2’s presence in VCT Americas consists of some of the most promising talents in the game. Michael ‘neT’ Bernet, Jonah ‘JonahP’ Pulice, Trent ‘trent’ Cairns, Jacob ‘valyn’ Batio, and the accomplished coach Josh ‘JoshRT’ Lee have all signed lucrative two-year deals with G2.
According to Alban Dechelotte, G2’s CEO, the organization faced stiff competition from over a dozen other esports organizations vying for the talents of this formidable lineup.
However, it’s important to note that one member of The Guard Valorant roster will not be making the transition to G2 Esports. Ian ‘tex’ Botsch announced his departure on September 10, signaling the start of his quest for a new team. As of now, G2 is carefully evaluating its options in the off-season to find an ideal replacement.
WE’RE SO FUCKING BACK
VCT Americas, you’re welcome pic.twitter.com/9oItgKtVO9
— G2 VALORANT (@G2VALORANT) September 22, 2023
G2 Esports’ arrival in the North American Valorant scene comes a year after the organization missed out on being among the initial ten partner organizations for the VCT Americas competition. This was due to an association between then G2 CEO Carlos Rodríguez and the controversial influencer Andrew Tate.
Despite this setback, G2 remained committed to North American Valorant and signed a roster with the goal of securing promotion to the top tier through Ascension Americas. Unfortunately, the team, featuring former Sentinels duo Shahzeb ‘ShahZaM’ Khan and Michael ‘dapr’ Gulino, fell short of expectations and finished the Challengers Playoffs in the 5th-6th place.
G2’s entry into VCT Americas was facilitated by Riot Games’ decision to allow the former The Guard roster to seek a “suitable candidate organization for the Ascended slot.”
The Guard, previously owned by Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, had “failed to meet the deadline to agree to the Team Participation Agreement of VCT Americas,” according to Riot Games.
