NRG announces the addition of Demon1, Ethan and Marved

The North American organization NRG has officially signed Jimmy “Marved” Nguyen, Max “Demon1” Mazanov, and Ethan “Ethan” Arnold to round out their Valorant roster. 

As soon as EG’s star players break free from the contract jail, NRG seized the opportunity to secure their services for the upcoming season. The North American has acquired Demon1 and Ethan, the duo that rose meteorically throughout the 2023 VCT season with Evil Geniuses. After a lackluster performance at VCT//LOCK-IN, Evil Geniuses managed to make it to the playoffs and finished third.

The team, however, made a brilliant comeback as they defied all expectations and finished second at Masters Tokyo, their second international appearance. Continuing their domination, the team won the world championship, defeating DRX, LOUD, and Paper Rex to claim the title.

Villain era never looked so good 😈

THIS IS NRG VALORANT 2024 pic.twitter.com/rPTtp6gjdW

— NRG (@NRGgg) December 23, 2023

 

Despite winning the championship, Evil Geniuses became mired in scandal, with reports of contractual disputes and lower compensation leading to the departure of the Demon1, and Ethan’s. A few days later, the management of EG revealed it had rejected several buyout offers, including NRG’s USD 100,000 bid on Demon1 and Ethan. It’s still unclear how much NRG has paid to acquire the star duo but the amount is heft considering EG has turned down a few offers previously.

Demon1, who proved himself to be the best duelist in the world in his rookie year of competition, will take on the duelist role for NRG. Ethan will assume the role of in-game leader (IGL), previously held by Pujan “FiNESSE” Mehta, who will be inactive in 2024. Moreover, NRG has decided to retain Austin “crashies” Roberts, Victor “Victor” Wong, and head coach Coach Chet “Chet” Singh from their 2023 roster, leaving one more spot in the team.

Marved reunite with former OpTic Gaming teammates

To round out the roster, the North American organization has acquired Jimmy “Marved” Nguyen, who was part of Sentinels’ stacked 2023 roster. He will reunite with his former OpTic Gaming teammates crashies and Victor. The three played a crucial role in OpTic’s success in 2022, helping the Green Wall secure an international title at Masters Reykjavík 2022 alongside a runner-up finish at the VCT Champions 2022.

Despite their success, OpTic Gaming, as an organization, made a mishap in their application for Riot’s partnership program. As a result, the organization failed to earn a spot in VCT 2023, leaving the player no other option but to find a new home. Having been away for a year, Marved will now playing alongside his former teammates, with the superstar duo Ethan and Demon1 having their backs.

Header: NRG