Equinox is returning to VALORANT over a month after dropping its previous roster back in early March. The organization returns with two new rosters, Equinox Day and Equinox Night, it announced on April 21. The organization was in hot water previously for dropping its former team out of the blue. The Oklahoma City-based organization then released a statement saying that it would focus on homegrown talent instead of trying to compete in the top tier. These two new rosters are the bearings of the talent scouting.
Equinox is excited to announce our 2 new Competitive valorant teams, Equinox Day & Equinox Night.
Equinox Night:
@isolateFPS
@namremmVAL@Aurahh2
@khaLedfps
@GcWh1teEquinox Day:@TJKhaled2001@GatoVAL@TheReal_Barret @EthanRushh
LowEyeQSub:@KynsoraOfficial@SimplyQ101 pic.twitter.com/HzgNRE5vP1
— Equinox Esports (@EquinoxOKC) April 21, 2021
Equinox VALORANT before Day and Night
Before these new regional rosters, Equinox was a budding tier two team with potential. The organization signed most of the amateur squad, China Nguyen, and had a a few decent wins in monthly and weekly tournaments. But, they did not manage to qualify for First Strike in 2020 and had a rough start to the VALORANT Champions Tour in 2021. The team did not make it through any of the three qualifiers, knocked out in the round of 16 and 32. After their last event, Challengers 3, players started to announce that they were looking for a new team.
However, Equinox was silent as the players announced their looking-for-team status.
— Equinox Esports (@EquinoxOKC) March 3, 2021
The organization did release a statement, but had already damaged its reputation in the public eye. The statement said Equinox would still be involved in VALORANT esports, but would change its priorities moving forward. Its former players voiced their displeasure with the organizations handling of the situation and its new venture into homegrown talent.
https://twitter.com/minaweeb/status/1370067506199678979?s=20
Now, Equinox has formed two different squads out of its open tryout system. Many of the players are teenagers with little, if any, esports experience. But, that is what Equinox set out to do after it dropped its professional roster. The previous team did have a few tournament wins and prize money to its name, but never made substantial waves in the scene. Equinox seems content with employing developing rosters moving forward and are out of the running for events like the VCT.
