After a disappointing end to their 2023 VALORANT season, NRG Esports might be making some sweeping changes to its roster in an attempt to change its fortunes for next year.
The popular North American team is reportedly dropping three players on the main roster, including Sam “s0m” Oh, Ardis “ardiis” Svarenieks, and veteran in-game leader Pujan “FNS” Mehta, according to esports journalist George Geddes.
This reported move would leave Victor Wong and Austin “crashies” Roberts as the only members left from this year’s iteration of the lineup, and signals a clear shift in strategy with the team’s longtime leader being removed. They will, however, have to wait until next month when the season officially ends before they can start rebuilding their roster.
Throughout the past year, NRG has maintained its status as a top contender from the region, posting impressive finishes across multiple events including a second-place finish behind LOUD during the Americas Finals, and a fourth-place finish at Masters Tokyo.
Related: Live VALORANT 2023 offseason tracker: Free agents, roster moves, and rumors for 2024 season
They were considered a true challenger at Champions 2023, but they failed to live up to expectations when they were knocked out of the event in a stunning upset by China’s second seed, Bilibili Gaming. This stinging loss also brought forward plenty of trash talk towards NRG, especially after ardiis promised that BLG were “going home, 100 percent” before their group stage rematch.
With such a disappointing end to their run at the biggest VALORANT event of the year, the team could be looking to reset and revamp itself before the start of the new competitive season. It also helps that there is a collection of talented free agents with expiring deals that are on the market this offseason, including superstar duelist Jaccob “yay” Whiteaker and rumored disgruntled LOUD star, Erick “aspas” Santos.
