XSET announced yesterday it would be parting ways with Ellie, one of the original members of its female VALORANT roster. The news follows a disappointing result from XSET in the last North American Game Changers event, where the team was eliminated in the closed qualifier.
Despite XSET’s unexpected finish in the last Game Changers event, Ellie leaving the team is still a surprise. She has been a staple presence for the roster since they were signed to the organization in September 2021.
XSET picked up its female VALORANT roster by signing NOTHING2LOSE, an org-less team that had been producing top results in Game Changers and other non-male tournaments. The team had good synergy, reliable players, and was getting the better of some established teams. It was only natural for XSET to pick them up.
Ellie was an integral part of NOTHING2LOSE, but actually got her start in competitive VALORANT with Man I Love Fwogs. MILF is an unsigned team but is known as a starting point for many women in the female VALORANT scene. Other notable names like Lx, formerly known as Lynn, who played for Gen.G but has now returned to CS:GO, also got their start with MILF.
Since her days with MILF, Ellie has been a player to watch. She brings both consistency and flashiness to any team she plays on. She is also adaptable, having played nearly every role across her three teams. Earlier this year, Dot Esports named Ellie third on our list of the top 10 female VALORANT players so far in 2022.
The hole Ellie leaves on XSET will be a hard one to fill for the team. As an integral part of both the female VALORANT team and the org as a whole for nearly a year, other members of the organization had nothing but well wishes for Ellie upon her departure.
The only two original members of the roster left are starriebun and artStar, who are currently playing alongside Danish players Cille and Noia. Both Cille and Noia joined XSET in March. XSET also lost its longtime coach, Ducky, in June, and Ellie’s departure now solidifies a new trajectory.
A day after announcing Ellie’s departure, XSET posted a tweet teasing a new signing. Though this signing may have nothing to do with the female VALORANT roster, it will need to find a fifth player soon.
As for Ellie, all signs point to her continuing with her career in professional VALORANT. She edited her Twitter bio to simply say “Professional Valorant player for ?” after her departure, indicating she is either looking for or has found a new team.
