Editor’s Note 08/18/21: This article has been updated to include information regarding TSM Academy’s ability to participate in VCT events.
The former Noble roster, including Carlo “Dcop” Delsol, signed to TSM Academy, the organization announced today.
The team will be unable to compete in VCT events, however. “Teams may not own two teams at once in VCT, unless one of those two teams is a women’s team,” Riot told Upcomer today.
“The next generation of Valorant talent starts here: introducing the TSM FTX Valorant Academy,” the announcement reads.
The next generation of Valorant talent starts here: introducing the TSM FTX Valorant Academy.
➝ @frostyZK
➝ @bdog2916
➝ @dcopGG
➝ @PrecisionVal
➝ @pay3n
➝ @Apex177
➝ @aRubyz pic.twitter.com/BLqzvJ5LS3— TSM (@TSM) August 18, 2021
The news comes just weeks after Upcomer reported that TSM wanted to sign an academy VALORANT roster. The team would act as a back-up for the main roster if TSM wished to promote a player from the academy team.
TSM had been in negotiations with the ex-Noble roster for some time, but Teal Seam was also considered by the organization.
Most notably, TSM academy, when they were under North American organization Noble, took down TSM in the VALORANT Championship Tour Stage 3 Challengers 1, which concluded on July 11. The former Noble roster eliminated TSM from the event. This meant that they could not qualify for Challengers 1.
The former Noble roster failed to take down 100 Thieves, however, so they were shortly eliminated from the event. 100 Thieves would later go on to qualify for Challengers 1 and finish in third place following a defeat to Sentinels.
TSM brought Dcop onto the roster as well. This completes the TSM Academy roster. Dcop will replace Aleko “Leviathan” Gabuniya, who plays for the main roster. Dcop formerly played for EZ5; one of the most prominent unsigned rosters in North America.
TSM Academy is set to face off against Cloud9 Blue tomorrow in the Nerd Street Gamers Summer Championship opening match. North American organization Cloud9 recently acquired former Version1 in-game leader Anthony “vanity” Malaspina. It’s unclear who Vanity will replace on the roster at the time of publication, however.
With the signing, TSM Academy will field the following roster:
- Dcop
- Nathaniel “payen” Lopez
- Colin “Precision” O’Neill
- Timothy “frostyZK” Ly
- Brandon “bdog” Sanders
- Andrew “aRubyz” Seewer (head coach)
- Austin “Apex” Copeland (assistant coach)
