The Guard is formally working it again with its breakout NA VALORANT roster core from this previous yr and is supplementing the younger however confirmed group with a brand new duelist and coach from the NRG Esports camp.
Ian “tex” Botsch joins the primary roster most certainly as the first duelist, whereas Josh “JoshRT” Lee takes on the pinnacle teaching position, The Guard introduced immediately. Each participant and coach grew to become free brokers this previous offseason when NRG made means for the world-class OpTic core of FNS, crashies, and Victor, along with head coach Chet Singh.
Each tex and JoshRT will fill the voids left by former duelist Ha “Sayaplayer” Jung-woo and head coach Matthew “mCe” Elmore. After a breakout yr final yr, Sayaplayer joined T1 to crew up with different former OWL greats like Munchkin and Carpe, whereas coach mCe left for the Cloud9 job to reunite with some acquainted faces.
Whereas The Guard missed out on partnership within the VCT Americas league, regardless of proudly displaying its brand on prime of the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles as a part of its utility, the org saved maintain of its core of trent, valyn, JonahP, and neT. This group stole the present within the first stage of VCT NA Challengers final yr, going from open qualifiers to a first-place end and a berth at Masters Reykjavík.
After simply lacking out on reaching VALORANT Champions 2022 in a decisive loss to 100T within the grand finals of the NA LCQ, The Guard made everybody on its roster restricted free brokers. However the group mentioned it nonetheless wished to proceed competing in VALORANT regardless of not buying a partnership.
The Guard, together with TSM, G2 Esports, M80, Shopify Insurrection, and FaZe Clan, has received a direct invite from organizer Knights Area to compete in the primary occasion of the 2023 NA VALORANT Challengers League. Over two splits, a mid-season invitational, and playoffs, The Guard will search to achieve VCT Americas the onerous means through Ascension.
