One of the most dominant teams in Gears of War esports history has found a new home for the upcoming season.
OpTic Gaming’s former Gears roster—Gilbert “Xplosive” Rojo, Alex “SuMuNs” Ascencion, Brian “SoLuRs” Valenzuela, Arody “Praized” Dipre, Billy “MentaL” Putnam Jr., and coach Nick “Ashes” Ridgeway—has joined NRG, the organization announced today.
This lineup dominated the competitive scene in Gears of War 4. Xplosive, MentaL, and SuMuNs won 17 of the 19 Gears 4 events while representing OpTic Gaming. SoLuRs and Praized won the last two events of Gears 4 after joining forces with the other three players.
The team was released from OpTic “per their request” on July 1. But on July 9, they joined TOX Gaming, the organization they represented in the ELEAGUE Gears Summer Series Invitational—the first event for Gears of War 5. Xplosive and crew won the eight-team invitational in July, taking home the $80,000 first-place prize.
Related: Dave Bautista is a playable character in Gears of War 5
NRG’s new lineup should be one of the most feared teams heading into Gears 5. The third-person shooter game will be released on Sept. 6.
