North American organization TSM has expressed preliminary interest in OpTic’s VALORANT roster, with TSM aiming to secure the best team in the region for the partnership league next year, multiple sources told Dot Esports.
TSM aims to acquire the full roster, but several OpTic players have contracts that require buyouts, including Jaccob “yay” Whiteaker and Jimmy “Marved” Nguyen, which could potentially hinder the deal, according to multiple sources.
Both players have extensive contracts with OpTic.
Both teams aim to become partnered with tournament organizer and game developer Riot Games for the Americas international league, which is set to begin in mid-February next year, as first reported by Dot Esports. Neither team has secured a partnership slot at time of writing. If TSM does not secure partnership with Riot, then it’s unlikely the players will join the organization.
OpTic wants to re-sign the team because both Victor Wong and Austin “crashies” Roberts’ respective contracts are set to expire during VALORANT Champions, which is set to conclude on Sept. 18. But it’s unlikely the core of the team will remain with OpTic following the conclusion of the tournament.
The Americas international league will feature 10 teams, with the majority hailing from North America, while Brazil and Latin America will complete the lineup. The league will be held on LAN and played from Los Angeles in the U.S., so teams from South America and Latin America will need to relocate.
The announcement for the teams that secure a partnership slot with Riot is set to be delivered in the coming weeks.
Teams selected to be in the international leagues will need to submit a preliminary roster to Riot by mid-October, as first reported by Dot Esports on Sept. 6.
