The Valorant world may be anxiously awaiting the start of Champions, but that didn't stop the creation of new headlines. Here's what you might have missed this past week.
This week's edition covers news from Aug 14 - Aug 20.
- Read more: News Almost Missed Aug 13
Roster Changes
- / The members of Built By Gamers Academy Built By Gamers Academy Inactive BlackHeart Hasan Hammad monSi Ludovic Lefebvre khanartist Nabil Khan FireBallOps Cameron Tomaselli announced that they have become unrestricted free agents from Built By Gamers. The squad is currently playing as The Silk Road The Silk Road Inactive GLYPH Conner Garcia Neon Austin Hedge d1msumboi Erik Almhjell .
- / OpTic Gaming OpTic Gaming Inactive head coach Chet "Chet" Singh announced that the two analysts that would be joining the team for their bootcamp in preparation for Champions are former SoaR SoaR Inactive epathy Ngawang Chonjor fiziq Lucas Blow v1c Victor Truong Trill Ashley Powell head coach Benjamin "trainer" Bravo and former DSYRE DSYRE Europe Rank #4 caydeN Yari Olmi Tag Alessandro Voci wackie Rikardo Birjukov waddle Wadir Taraki Filu Dawid Czarnecki analyst and assistant coach German "krueger" Yevseyev.
- / Bradley "ANDROID" Fodor revealed that his time with NRG Esports NRG Esports North America Rank #5 FiNESSE Pujan Mehta s0m Sam Oh Ethan Ethan Arnold Demon1 Max Mazanov had come to a close.
- / MOUZ MOUZ Europe Rank #8 xuss Tselmeg Tsolmon Obnoks Nico Garczarczyk iluri Ilari Puranen Fizzy David Figueiredo starki Krzysztof Lewandrowski parted ways with James "Kryptix" Affleck, Joseph "Luzuh" Loose, and head coach Brandon "weber" Weber.
- / Team Vitality Team Vitality Europe Rank #9 trexx Nikita Cherednichenko Kicks Kimmie Laasner ceNder Jokūbas Labutis Sayf Saif Jibraeel substitute player YoZeii announced that he is looking to explore options with other teams while still under contract with the organization.
- / Team Queso Team Queso Inactive mezoky Boom Daniel Jiménez welcomed Manuel "thinkii" Martínez as their new head coach.
- / Flynn joined Zero Tenacity Zero Tenacity Europe Rank #56 Krizz Krzysztof Łukaszkiewicz snikk Sebastian Kamiński kenobi Szymon Łabędzki ALMO Albert Mościcki Freyy Krystian Konopka as the team's analyst.
- / Guild GC Guild GC Inactive Xaline Laure Mateos said goodbye to Victoria "victoria" Ukasova and welcomed Neslişah "ness" Demir as the final member of their roster.
- Mert "Mykoz" Demirci revealed that he was in search of new opportunities while still under contract with Fenerbahçe Esports Fenerbahçe Esports Europe Rank #173 DeadInk Utku Onur Aydin sturNN Eren Oduncular JrayN Ferhat Yılmaz Yigox cacan Mert Çaçan .
- BBL Esports BBL Esports Europe Rank #39 Elite Efe Teber Brave Eren Kasırga reazy Kaan Ürpek QutionerX Doğukan Dural parted ways with Melih "pAura" Karaduran and stand-in Caner "CyderX" Demir.
- Papara SuperMassive Papara SuperMassive Europe Rank #34 skylen Asil Yalçın SouhcNi Ibrahim Sağır umu7 Umut Pekdoğan Izzy Baran Yılmaz acquired two players from Fire Flux Esports' rosters: Asil "skylen" Yalçın from Fire Flux Young Fire Flux Young Inactive Crewen Ali Eren Sargin VenTT Emre Bozkurt vittoria macRue Arda Yıldız Rosé Eren Erzan and Ibrahim "SouhcNi" Sağır as a stand-in from the team's main roster.
- MIBR GC MIBR GC Game Changers Rank #14 srN Nicolas Niederauer sayuri Camila Obam Jelly Julia Iris Mel Melissa Souza jubs Juliana Oliveira rounded out their roster with gabiTê .
- KRÜ Esports KRÜ Esports Latin America South Rank #3 keznit Angelo Mori mta Nicolás González Shyy Fabian Usnayo Melser Marco Eliot Machuca Amaro said goodbye to substitute player Hector "wait" Paucay.
- / SCARZ SCARZ Japan Rank #8 MrTenzouEz EJAY Eroll Jule Delfin adrnking Adrian Setiawan Yotaa Yota Kaouachi Yoshiii John Yoshiharu Kawakami welcomed the former BLUE BEES.ESP BLUE BEES.ESP Japan Rank #25 Lafura hidry 9Lair Namikaze satoshi kenmohororo Kaito Yoshida core of TORANECO , Zennakukin , Jemkin , and Savva "Kr1stal" Fedorov to their team.
- / Reckoning Esports Reckoning Esports Asia-Pacific Rank #29 aplycs Aqil Azfar Mojo Thong Tao Jian Deadly10 Saksham Aurangabadkar Garv ghostxD added Gaurav "CrosshaiR" Chabukswar and Woo "m4hogany" Sang-hoo (우상후) to their team as player and head coach respectively.
- / Xan , Gordon "DxN" Lek, and Rodman "Vera" Yap all announced that they were in search of new opportunities as free agents. The trio's departure leaves their former team, No Namers No Namers Inactive bryce Bryce Lee shiba Zhan Teng Toh , with three active players.
- The former BearClaw Gaming BearClaw Gaming Inactive joshh Joshua Leow bryce Bryce Lee Flaring Henri Forichon JayH Wong Jia Heng roster of Wong "JayH" Jia Heng, Henri "Flaring" Forichon, Bryce "bryce" Lee, and Joshua "joshh" Leow has dissolved, with all players in search of new teams as free agents.
- / Yousef "Hotsauz" Imad El-Yousef, Xavier "xavi8k" Juan, Zachary "BraiNfreeZe" Bajarias, and coach See "Evo" Wey Kang have left Bren Esports Bren Esports Inactive and entered free agency, with Hotsauz announcing his retirement from competition.
- W Streak Esports announced James "NoMan" Man as the newest member for the team's South Asia and Southeast Asian rosters.
- // Team RA'AD Team RA'AD MENA Rank #3 Shalaby Mohamed Shalaby Shniider Yousef Osama chrollo Omar Hussein Depyro Nour Sherif SkaNoodles Yousef Mohamed Yassien Yassien Ahmed said goodbye to coach Alessandro "Tenebra" Marenzi and welcomed Cristian "Future" Duarte as a coach.
Results & Standings
- NSG Summer Championship 2022 finals playoffs qualified teams: Nearest Airport Nearest Airport Inactive melya k0rupt Wylie Watts BlackMoose Shawn Fox Uncreative Kuba Kosiba Tn , Ghost Gaming Ghost Gaming Inactive koalanoob Gianfranco Potestio NiSMO Marc-Andre Tayar aproto Alex Protopapas brawk Brock Somerhalder johnqt Mohamed Amine Ouarid , Soniqs Soniqs Inactive , Teal Seam Teal Seam Inactive renz Austin Dickman furbsa Hunter Mcmillan Jonaaa6 Jonard Penaflor d1msumboi Erik Almhjell Cade3k Cade Warren , NSIC NSIC Inactive epathy Ngawang Chonjor neptune Jason Tran Lear Dayton Akau riku Chris Piasecki snirot Edmon Ghanem , Oxygen Academy Oxygen Academy Inactive Rustun Rustun Lusk Verno Andrew Maust Welshy Liam Newhouse , VIRTUOSO VIRTUOSO Inactive King Aiden King Eley Zach Stauffer DBK Dylan Bazic-Kulangiev Blahst Nathan Brand snxper Louis Lama , TSM Academy TSM Academy Inactive
- MCT Contenders Division LCQ playoffs qualified teams: SHIFT SHIFT Inactive , MapleStory MapleStory Inactive truo Robert Pham jcrueL Joel Cruel
- Rebels Final playoffs winner: Natus Vincere Celestials Natus Vincere Celestials Inactive Lateu Hilal Yaşar Anva Nehir Dinçer Miyori Eylül Sudem Sarıoğlu Sephia Reyhan Şimşek proxima Aslıhan Uslu | runner-up: Papara SuperMassive Female Papara SuperMassive Female Inactive Julis Açelya Özgen schnellÆ Ayşe Ergül
- TLF Series Cup 2022 winner: Optix Optix Inactive ganter Bastian Eduardo Reinoso Fross Fernando Gallagher D1E Diego Contreras Tio Carlos Swing gio Giovani Cristobal Lainati Ruz | runner-up: OXEN OXEN Latin America South Rank #4 Forcee kivary jcz KIMB0 jotinha
- VCT Game Changers LATAM South finals remaining teams: KRÜ BLAZE KRÜ BLAZE Latin America South Unranked dods conir Constanza Reyes romily Romina Alvarez micaela Micaela Ferreyra biazik Beatriz Begnossi , 9z Team GC 9z Team GC Latin America South Rank #15 ponix Isidora Valentina Vásquez Muñoz Adenina Mikaela Univaso Nadie babzzz Bárbara Moniz none nicky
- VCT Game Changers APAC LCQ remaining teams: X Team Bo X Team Bo Inactive veekay Verlene Koh Snowwke Valentine Isabelle Thun olulu , W Streak Esports Female W Streak Esports Female Inactive Dolph Kanittha Aungsuwanpanich Noxy Ornsiripim Intuwan rosey Natchanan Marksup mimii Kanyanat Khosuriya Newky Kewalin Maneerat cuppycake Pimpat Tanyong
- VCT Game Changers APAC Elite qualified teams (via LCQ): X10 Sapphire X10 Sapphire Inactive Poly Patcharapron Sanitchai JinNy Sarindhorn Wanothayarnchai Muffyn Chalita Buathong Babytz Pornlapat Wittayanan alyssa Annitta Peerwantanagul
- The Esports Club Challengers Series 8 main event winner: Enigma Gaming Enigma Gaming Inactive Divine Yeoh Chun Ting FREY Ingram Tan STYRON Tidus Goh Xan artn Ayrton Soh | runner-up: Velocity Gaming Velocity Gaming Asia-Pacific Rank #22 Hotsauz Yousef Imad El-Yousef tesseract Jon Michael Piga yokam Yukxx Yukee Lampa Georggyyy George Audrey Lachica choosie Matthew Lorenzo Te
Other News & Rumors
- According to Argentinian esports journalist Lucas Benaim, the Latin American pool of applicants for the 2023 franchised league have been narrowed down to KRÜ Esports, Leviatán, Furious Gaming, Six Karma, and Infinity Esports.