In a move that could mark the first domino to fall in what once looked like a dynasty in the making,
Nongshim RedForce
Nongshim RedForce
Korea
Rank #1
WoohyuN
Moon Woo-hyun (문우현)
Xross
Jeonghwan (정환)
UdoTan
Go Kyung-won (고경원)
Rb
Goo Sang-min (구상민)
Francis
Kim Mu-bin (김무빈)
Ivy
Park Sung-hyeon (박성현)
has parted ways with Lee "Dambi"
Hyuk-kyu (이혁규).
Dambi with Nongshim during Champions Shanghai. (Photo by Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games)
At one point the most dominant Neon in the world and a Masters Santiago MVP, Dambi has been with the current
Sin Prisa Gaming
Sin Prisa Gaming
Inactive
Persia
Yang Zi-on (양지온)
margaret
Kim Ji-woo (김지우)
Dambi
Lee Hyuk-kyu (이혁규)
Francis
Kim Mu-bin (김무빈)
Ivy
Park Sung-hyeon (박성현)
-centric Nongshim core since March 2023. More specifically, he has been on a team with
Francis
and
Ivy
since their days on the
Team OGS
Team OGS
Inactive
Athan
Na Ha-jun (나하준)
Dambi
Lee Hyuk-kyu (이혁규)
Aru
Yang Jae-jun (양재준)
Ivy
Park Sung-hyeon (박성현)
Francis
Kim Mu-bin (김무빈)
Distinct
Kim Sun-myeong (김선명)
Haemul
roster. Just three offseasons ago, Dambi was without a team, having ended his 2023 season with a five-match losing streak. His and SPG's story is a now-iconic one, as the team worked through Valorant's Premier system to earn an Open Qualifier spot in the Korean Challengers circuit. The rest is history: Nongshim ran the region and then Pacific Ascension to earn a spot in VCT, was picked up by Nongshim RedForce, went through Ascension again, and months later won Masters Santiago.
In between their Team OGS and Sin Prisa stints, the trio met head coach
SilKanoN
on
Gwangju Shadow
Gwangju Shadow
Inactive
Ivy
Park Sung-hyeon (박성현)
Distinct
Kim Sun-myeong (김선명)
Francis
Kim Mu-bin (김무빈)
Dambi
Lee Hyuk-kyu (이혁규)
in September 2023, but moved under a new banner after Sin Prisa Gaming acquired the roster later that year.
Dambi's announcement, of course, comes shortly after it was announced that Nongshim RedForce was not selected as a partnered org ahead of Riot's next partnership agreement shift. According to VCT's Global Contract Database, all Nongshim player contracts were due to expire at the end of the 2026 season, November 2. Head coach SilKanoN is the only member of the team to have an extended contract, with his deal expiring at the end of the 2027 season. Coach Sungmin also announced his departure from the team, ending a second stint after also working with the team during its SPG days.
Despite missing out on partnership, Nongshim RedForce founder and CEO Evans Oh announced that it intended to remain in Valorant and will "refine our roster, competitive goals, and strengthen our engagement with the global fanbase that has grown significantly this year."
Nongshim RedForce
Nongshim RedForce
Korea
Rank #1
WoohyuN
Moon Woo-hyun (문우현)
Xross
Jeonghwan (정환)
UdoTan
Go Kyung-won (고경원)
Rb
Goo Sang-min (구상민)
Francis
Kim Mu-bin (김무빈)
Ivy
Park Sung-hyeon (박성현)
's active roster is now:
Discord