NA’s demon is back in the game. Teams are now gearing up for the VCT Americas 2025 season, and Argentinian organization Leviatán is more than ready to get ahead. In a huge move, they signed Max “Demon1” Mazanov, revealing it on October 11, 2024.
Demon1 finds a place in one of the most promising orgs in the Valorant esports scene. After spending a rocky season with NRG and sitting most events out, he’s ready to step back into the server with something to prove. Leviatán slots him into an already powerful roster, believing that his addition will equal further success for the team.
The Return of NA’s Demon
Demon1’s early career saw the American agent in rising renown. He was considered one of North America’s most promising stars in his rookie year, with his valuable performance in his then team, Evil Geniuses. With EG, he placed as runners-up at Masters Tokyo in 2023.
At Valorant Champions 2023, Demon1 became EG’s key player to winning the tournament championship. In the same event, he tied with Sentinels’ Zekken for the most kills (101 kills) made in a single VCT international series and was hailed MVP.
The NA star, however, failed to achieve the same level of performance in 2024. After a disappointing loss at the VCT Americas Stage One, Demon1 was benched quite quickly by NRG Esports. Far from his 2023 stage dominance, he spent most of the season only watching from the sidelines. Although his individual skills still shone through, synergizing with a new team seemed difficult for Demon1, and thus wasn’t able to replicate his success in Evil Geniuses’ roster.
Now, the 22 year-old pro-player’s move to Leviatán is his chance to prove he’s still got what it takes to be a champion. Many are eager to see whether the sidelined star can reignite his career.
Leviatán’s Killer Year
Leviatán has been shaping up to be one of the most formidable teams in VALORANT. Their early stumble in the 2024 season seemed to only have set the stage to their later successes. The team triumphed at the VCT Americas Stage Two and placed third at Valorant Champions 2024.
Now, Leviatán adds Demon1 to their already impressive lineup of Francisco “kiNgg” Aravena, Erick “aspas” Santos, Ian “tex” Botsch, and Corbin “C0M” Lee. This is an aim at higher possibilities, as the roster is now studded with three champion stars: aspas, C0M, and Demon1. Notably, the latter two are teammates in the roster that won Evil Geniuses their 2023 trophy, potentially rekindling that chemistry for their upcoming matches.
Bound to Blaze: A Newfound Partnership
With a newfound place in the Leviatán roster, Demon1 is expected to fire up their already blazing performance. How his aggressive playstyle would fit into the team’s composition is yet to be seen. Yet, with an already existing synergy with C0M, fans speculate it wouldn’t be too bad for the team’s chemistry. Still, Demon1 and Leviatán have to be careful to avoid the same pitfall in NRG.
Like Leviatán’s rise to dominance after a previous mishap, can Demon1 absorb this group’s energy and bounce back to stardom with this stint? Individually, Leviatán’s members are already stacked with prowess and game sense. If Demon1 meshes well and makes way for an even better team performance, Leviatán might just grow to be an unstoppable force in VCT Americas.
The Stage is Set
VCT Americas 2025 is closely approaching, and viewers are keeping a similarly close watch on Demon1 and Leviatán. A former champion with immense prowess and individual skills meets a dream team with skyrocketing potential. Can they live up to the hype?
This roster change marks a transformation for Leviatán; an extra boost provided by the NA demon’s hellfire. As the team fights its way to the pinnacle of competitive Valorant, the stage is set for Demon1’s redemption and Leviatán’s rise to glory.
