Roster Changes and Twitter Beef: MAD Lions Shakeup Ahead of NA VALORANT Challengers Split 2
MAD Lions, a VALORANT esports team, has announced that it is parting ways with two more starting roster members, Taylor “drone” Johnson and Anthony “ZexRow” Colandro, after a poor start to the NA VALORANT Challengers 2023 season. MAD Lions had already replaced former 100T duelist William “Will” Cheng during the first split, leaving only two players from the original starting roster.
The Mad Lions:
In the first split, MAD Lions won their opening map. But then went on to lose eight straight maps across four weeks, going 0-4 in matches. Will was moved to the bench and replaced by Marshall “N4RRATE” Massey after two matches. While the team was already out of Mid Season Faceoff contention, they at least managed to close out the first split with a comeback win against fellow 0-4 team OREsports.
MAD Lions’ in-game leader Trick took responsibility for the team's poor performance. Admitting that his mistakes had an “extreme negative” effect on the players around him. Trick also wrote that MAD Lions would have to “take risks” and make “drastic changes” to the roster if they want to reach Ascension.
The Beef:
The second split of NA VALORANT Challengers League is set to begin in two weeks. All 12 teams will have a chance at playoffs. However, the teams that finish in the bottom four will have to start in the lower bracket. MAD Lions are not the only team making changes, as Disguised Toast is trialing some new players, including potentially big names.
Just a few hours after MAD Lions announced the mid-season changes to their roster competing in the NA VALORANT Challengers League, the team’s current in-game leader and one of the now-former players got into it on Twitter. ZexRow started simmering the beef first when he called out the team’s in-game leader Justin “Trick” Sears.
Trick tore into his former teammate in response, saying ZexRow “[didn’t] bring anything to the team, argued with everyone every single round, [had] the worst comms of any pro player, and [couldn’t] even win a single duel,” adding he wasn’t “meant for Challengers.”
The two continued to trade digital jabs, with ZexRow acknowledging his poor comms. But telling Trick he wasn’t good enough to make the decision to change an entire roster. Trick responded by telling ZexRow he was unable to take criticism. Claiming the post he had written earlier in the day was to deflect blame away from ZexRow. And that he was not the one taking roster moves.
In Conclusion:
MAD Lions has made significant changes to its roster by releasing two more starting roster members. The team’s current in-game leader and one of the now-former players also engaged in a heated exchange on Twitter. This highlights the changes in the team’s roster. The second split of NA VALORANT Challengers League is set to begin soon. And all teams will have a chance at playoffs. But the teams that finish in the bottom four will have to start in the lower bracket.