- Rumors say The Guard is looking at buying Ian “tex” Botsch
- Tex achieved mixed success during his time with NRG
- The Guard also had many ups and downs during the 2022 competitive VALORANT season
The Guard is looking at the young talent Ian “tex” Botsch to round up its VALORANT Challengers roster for the upcoming season.
Tex Might Be Joining The Guard
As the new season of competitive VALORANT is on the horizon, teams are scrambling to get their hands on fresh talent. According to rumors, one of these teams, The Guard, is looking to acquire 23-year-old Ian “tex” Botsch and add him to its VALORANT Challengers roster.
The young player spent the past year with NRG, during which time the VALORANT lineup experienced mixed success. The team managed to qualify for the group stage during the first stage of the North American VCT. However, ending with a 1-4 record cut NRG’s Stage One run short.
Stage two was a bit better for NRG as the team managed a 2-3 record, qualifying for the group stage and earning a spot in the playoffs. Due to coming in fourth place in their group, they began their playoff run in the lower bracket. Tex helped NRG manage victories against Ghost Gaming and Evil Geniuses, but FaZe Clan came in to shut down NRG’s momentum.
However, tex and his crew had done enough to earn a spot in NA’s Last Chance Qualifier, despite placing fourth in Stage Two of the American VCT. However, no matter what tex did for his team, NRG did not manage to find a foothold in the LCQ. The team suffered losses against 100 Thieves and Cloud9, ending their shot at hoisting the VALORANT Champions trophy.
Tex’s Future Team
Unlike the player’s former squad, The Guard faired a lot better during this competitive year, although it was also full of ups and downs. The team astonished everyone by qualifying for VALORANT Masters Reykjavik as well as beating OpTic Gaming in the Stage One finals. Unfortunately, The Guard did not manage to keep that momentum on the international scene, failing to win even a single match during the Masters Reykjavik event.
In Stage Two, The Guard finished with a disappointing 1-4 record in the group stage, which was not enough to earn them a playoff spot. They were locked in for NA LCQ because of their success in Stage One.
During the NA LCQ, The Guard found themselves one win away from VALORANT Champions. The team suffered a humiliating 0-3 defeat at the hands of 100 Thieves, which also marked the end of their 2022 campaign.
Now that the team is looking at acquiring tex, The Guard hopes that it will turn its fortunes around in 2023.
