- Zachary “ZachaREEE” Lombardo became a restricted free agent in December last year
- He has joined FaZe in 2020, helping the team win a few first spots
- ZachaREEE officially ended his contract with FaZe Clan by joining Akrew’s VALORANT team
After months of uncertainty about what's going to happen to ZachaREEE’s next steps in his career, FaZe has announced he and the organization are officially parting ways.
ZachaREEE Officially Leaves FaZe
Zachary “ZachaREEE” Lombardo was part of FaZe Clan’s VALORANT roster, but back in December 2021 he was moved to restricted free agency status. He has stayed in the organization’s inactive roster ever since, but FaZe announced Lombardo will be officially leaving. The clan thanked Lombardo for his participation in the team, wishing him the best of luck in his career.
Lombardo’s play in FaZe’s VALORANT squad started back in July 2020. He quickly became a staple member of the team and helped it become one of the best North America VALORANT teams, a true powerhouse in the region. He helped his team win the online event VCT 2021: North America Stage 1 Challengers 3 in early 2021, and later the BFC Smeag Cup #1, another online tournament, in June of the same year. Along with that, Lombardo also helped the FaZe roster score some second places on other events.
However, despite eventually making it to the Masters One grand final against Sentinels, FaZe lost against them and failed to qualify for the remaining two Masters events. Perhaps this loss prompted the organization to change up its roster composition. They seem to be moving around team members even now as rumors circulate that Faze will remove LarryBanks from its active VALORANT roster.
What’s Next for ZachaREEE?
Announcing his benching by FaZe in December, Lombardo said then he was open to exploring new opportunities. Competing in the x1 MOB February Banger tournament with the We Can roster and later joining the Akrew VALORANT team for the BoomTV Proving Grounds $20,000 Spring 2022 tournament, Lombardo seems to have found his new squad.
He officially joined Akrew’s roster on March 29 after the team finished in the top eight in the tournament. The organization welcomed him, saying it is excited to see him compete with the new team.
As for FaZe Clan, the organization is still readjusting. Although it hasn’t announced its new roster, the team will compete in the second stage of the NA VALORANT Champions Tour.