Joining The Fray: G2 Esports Makes Its Mark In VCT America League Debut 2023

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By: Hypron || Sep 28, 2023

G2 Esports, one of the most successful and popular esports organizations in Europe, has finally made its entry into the VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) Americas League for the 2024 season. The organization announced on September 23rd that it has signed four former players from The Guard, the team that won the Ascension tournament and earned a promotion to the VCT Americas League1.

The Guard, however, failed to sign the Team Partnership Agreement with Riot Games, the developer, and publisher of VALORANT, and was consequently denied a spot in league1. Riot Games initially decided not to replace The Guard with another team, leaving the VCT Americas League with only 10 teams instead of 111. This decision sparked a backlash from the VALORANT community, who argued that it was unfair to the players and the fans to have an uneven number of teams in the league1.\

Riot Games eventually reversed its decision and opened up the 11th slot to any organization that could sign at least three out of the five players from The Guard roster1. Several organizations expressed their interest in acquiring the players, including FlyQuest, DisguisedToast, and xQc2. However, it was G2 Esports that secured the deal and became the newest addition to the VCT Americas League1.

G2 Esports New Roster

G2 Esports signed Jonah ‘JonahP’ Pulice, Michael ‘neT’ Bernet, Trent Cairns, Jacob ‘Valyn’ Batio, and coach Josh ‘JoshRT’ Lee from The Guard roster1. The organization is still looking for a fifth player to complete its lineup, as it has a “special offseason” ahead of the 2024 season 1. G2 Esports CEO Alban Dechelotte said that the organization is “very excited” to join the VCT Americas League and compete with the best teams in the region.

G2 Esports Aint No Stranger in Valorant

WE’RE SO FUCKING BACK

VCT Americas, you’re welcome pic.twitter.com/9oItgKtVO9
— G2 VALORANT (@G2VALORANT) September 22, 2023

G2 Esports is no stranger to VALORANT, as it has been competing in the European VALORANT Challengers ecosystem since 2020. The organization also has a Game Changers roster, which is dedicated to supporting women and other marginalized genders in VALORANT1. However, G2 Esports was left out of the VCT EMEA League, the top-tier league for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, after Riot Games rejected its partnership application due to controversy last year.

How This Will Change Things For G2

G2 Esports’ entry into the VCT Americas League marks a new chapter for the organization and its fans, as it will bring a fresh wave of competition and excitement to the league. The VCT Americas League is an offline tournament that features 11 teams competing for a total prize pool of $250,000 USD. The league also serves as a qualification pathway for the VALORANT Masters and Champions events, which are the global tournaments that crown the best VALORANT teams in the world. G2 Esports will make its debut in the VCT Americas League in 2024 and will face off against some of the strongest teams in the region, such as Sentinels, 100 Thieves, Team Envy, and TSM.