G2 Esports eying fresh start in Valorant Esports

The European esports organization, G2 Esports, has announced its return to Valorant Esports with a significant move. It has been revealed that G2 Esports will sign the former The Guards players to compete in the VCT Americas League as the 11th team.

Just a month ago, Riot Games made the decision to remove The Guard as a partner team from the 2024 season of the Americas League. The reason cited by Riot was that the organization had failed to sign the Team Participation Agreement, which is a contract that all teams must commit to in order to compete in the VCT. Consequently, Riot chose to proceed with only 10 teams in the upcoming edition instead of the planned 11th.

While the precise cause for not signing the contract remains undisclosed, this decision undoubtedly stirred outrage within the community. It was the players, rather than the fans, who found themselves in a state of uncertainty concerning their future opportunities.

G2 Esports signed former Guard players

Finally, it appears that the former Guard players have found a new home with G2 Esports, making G2 Esports the 11th team to participate in the VCT Americas League for both the 2024 and 2025 seasons consecutively. Following this, here are the current roster for G2 Esports:

• Jonah “JonahP” Pulice
• Michael “neT” Bernet
• Trent “trent” Cairns
• Jacob “valyn” Batio
• Josh “JoshRT” Lee (as Head coach)

The search for the fifth G2 player is still ongoing, and G2 Esports is taking a patient approach. With the next season still a few months away, the organization aims to make the most of this time to assemble a roster that will not only look perfect on paper but performance too.

WE’RE SO FUCKING BACK

VCT Americas, you’re welcome pic.twitter.com/9oItgKtVO9

— G2 VALORANT (@G2VALORANT) September 22, 2023

It’s worth noting that shortly after Guard released their roster, several popular figures such as DisguisedToast, Félix ‘xQc’ Lengyel, and even Flyquest expressed their interest in signing the roster and entering the VCT Americas League as one of the franchise teams. However, in the end, it was G2 who successfully seized this opportunity.

A fresh start for G2 Esports

Looking back to 2021, G2 had a memorable moment when they ended Sentinels’ winning streak and sent a strong message to their competitors. However, since then, G2 has gone through many changes in its roster.

Throughout 2022, G2 Esports’ Valorant team faced challenges and didn’t quite meet the expectations they had set for themselves. Towards the end of 2022, they decided to start fresh by bringing in new signings like former Sentinels player Shahzeb “ShahZam” Khan and Michael “dapr” Gulino. Despite these changes, their results remained inconsistent.

The frequent roster changes have indeed disrupted the team’s stability and consistency, forcing them to constantly adapt to new players and strategies. Their decision to release the roster following their disappointment in Ascension Europe was a significant move, but they retained ShahZam as a content creator.

Interestingly, they persevered by continuing their involvement in the VCT Game Changers, signalling their refusal to give up and their commitment to finding success in the ever-evolving esports landscape.

Indeed, the inclusion of a former Guard player brings valuable experience to the team. The journey from past setbacks to their current Ascension championship demonstrates their growth and resilience. Fans eagerly anticipate the revival of G2’s former glory with the addition of this seasoned player, hoping for a brighter future.

Header: VCT Americas