- Rumors say EG’s roster is allowed to seek different options or get a pay cut if they decide to stay
- This seems to be corroborated by cryptic tweets made by the players themselves
- EG had already let go of its reserve roster last week, including one of the coaches
In a bizarre move by the VCT 2023 champions, Evil Geniuses have been making huge roster changes recently, which allegedly include cutting the pay of their players or asking them to leave.
Strange Reports About EG Appear
We are well into the offseason of professional VALORANT, a time when rosters are being reshuffled and pros left and right are announcing their free agency or are signing for other teams. This trend has not gone past the champions of the VCT 2023, Evil Geniuses, who will make some unexpected changes, if recent rumors turn out to be true.
According to the sources of VALORANT reporter Max “purest” Katz, Evil Geniuses’ players have been allegedly asked to explore other options. Otherwise, if they decided they wanted to stay with the organization, then they would have to get a pay cut.
Needless to say, one finds it strange that none other than the VALORANT Champions Tour 2023 winners would make such an extreme change in their policy regarding their own players. One would think that the opposite, an increase in salaries, should be done in order to incentivize EG’s players, who have performed admirably during this year’s series.
However far-fetched it may seem, it looks like Evil Geniuses’ players themselves have already alluded to this being the case in some of their posts of recent days. Corbin “C0M” Lee posted a number of tweets that likely suggested this. “Nothing makes sense. No matter what you do, it doesn’t matter. Winning doesn’t matter. Just loved this year and the people I was around no matter what,” one of the player’s tweets read.
C0M’s colleague, Ethan ”Ethan” Arnold wrote on Monday about how he misses old esports and its system of rewarding players for a job well done. “Where if you were good, you were on a good team. Where there was something to grind for, and if you did it successfully, you got to reap the benefits.”
A reaction from Evil Geniuses’ in-game leader Kelden “Boostio” Pupello was also expected, the player simply writing laconically:
Perhaps Evil Geniuses’ bizarre move should not come as much of a surprise, considering there were some initial signs the organization plans some big changes. On September 7, Evil Geniuses let go of its VALORANT team reserves which were comprised of Jeffrey “Reformed” Lu, Vincent “Apotheon” Le, Jacob “icy” Lange, and Brendan “BcJ” Jensen, as well as coach Addison “zecK” Gorzec.
If EG lets go of their main lineup as well, they will become the second VALORANT team to do so after a major win. The first organization to do something like this was The Guard, who won the Ascension tournament, and then proceeded to let go of all its players. Fortunately for them, streamer xQc has shown interest in signing The Guard’s former roster, and other organizations are also in talks with the players, so they should soon have new sponsors.
As we head further into the VALORANT off-season, there will be more news of transfers and new signings coming out. Considering one big organization has already gotten rid of all its players and another one may seem to be panning the same, it would not be surprising if we see other such developments in the near future.
