Evolution: Version1 ends with final standing member departure, new era potentially rising

And then there were none

Version1 has officially parted with their last remaining Valorant member Loic “effys” Savageau on the 22nd of Dec. The announcement came loaded with sadness as it signalled a final bye for the last founding member of the V1 Valorant roster that took 2021 by storm, right behind the reign of Sentinels.

[twitter url="https://twitter.com/effysgo/status/1606032104214536192"]

Over the past few months, the remnants of Version1’s Valorant roster has slowly moved on to other prospects. Coach Ian “Immi” Harding brought along young talents Erik “penny” Penny and Maxim “wippie” Shepelev to G2.

Jordan “Zellsis” Montemurro briefly re-joined the roster after a stint with Sentinels in their Last Chance Qualifier run, and has now moved on to Cloud9, forming part of NA’s great ‘superteam’. In-Game Leader Alexander “Zander” Dituri has been picked up to lead M80, a new NA project headed by a former XSET founder.

Still a Path to the Peak

“effys” was the final member of the North American organization, remaining under contract until now. He now enters free agency as Version1 shifts their attention to their Game Changers squad. His announcement as a free agent comes on the tail end of the off-season period unfortunately, as all International League teams have had their rosters announced for weeks.

His final shot at competing in January at a high level would be a spot on a Challengers roster, however, pickings are slim as the majority of the top-loaded Challengers teams have already been announced, leaving few talents left to scrounge. That said, there are a number of other top talents that have yet to announce their candidacy, namely Jimmy “Marved” Nguyen and Yassine “Subroza” Taoufik.

Both players have announced a self-imposed break from competing, however, both are likely to return before the end of 2023. Moreover, there are still a number of Challengers teams who have not officially confirmed their rosters, such as FaZe Clan, Shopify Rebellion, and others, as well as free talents such as William “Will” Cheng, who can offer valuable LAN experience for any burgeoning NA roster. Like “Will,” “effys” was part of the Version1 run at the first LAN Masters at Reykjavik, meaning he brings valuable experience to any team that grabs him.

Another ‘superteam’ in the works

As mentioned, Version1 is pivoting their efforts into their Game Changers roster. Recent reports have it that they are looking to secure recently available talents; Melanie “meL” Capone and Alexis “alexis” Guarrasi (both of whom just recently entered free agency). Reports also mention their interest in rising talent and promising superstar Ava “florescent” Eugene. According to leaks, Nicole “Noia” Tierce and Sarah “sarah” Simpson will round out the new roster.

Currently VersionX (Version1 Game Changers roster), have two players retained, that being Katherine “Katriggered” Patrone and “melj”. Time will tell what the future of the roster shapes up to be. With the Challengers League consisting of an open qualifier, and VersionX reportedly consisting of some of the best pieces from NA Game Changers league, this roster could make a deep run on paper for Ascension.

Image credit: Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games (ft. from L-R penny, vanity, effts, Zellsis, and Jammyz)