Sources close to Upcomer have confirmed an original report by Dexerto that FunPlus Phoenix are using a stand-in player for their Ukrainian In-game-leader Kirill “ANGE1” Karasiow.
As ANGE1 currently resides in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, during this ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, he has been unable to practice with the team. Meanwhile, he has been urging people to “stay united” throughout the situation via his Twitter account.
There is no set time, as of yet, for the 32-year-old veteran of both VALORANT and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive to return to the FPX roster. Stand-ins will be needed once games commence.
As ANGE1 cannot attend team practices, FPX have reviewed multiple players for his stand-in. According to the Dexerto report, two players have recently scrimmed as the stand-in for ANGE1. This includes David “davidp” Prins, a Belgian VALORANT player who recently played for G2 Esports and Giants Gaming, and Kamil “baddyG” Graniczka, a Polish VALORANT player who recently played for NOM Esports. According to the Dexerto report, the team is leaning toward utilizing baddyG as their stand-in for future games.
What’s next for FPX?
FPX have started off strong in the VALORANT Champions Tour’s Europe, Middle East and Africa Challengers 1 tournament. Off the back of important wins over BIG Esports and Gambit Esports, their 2-0 start put them in a prime position.
FPX’s next matchup against Natus Vincere was originally set for March 5, Week 4 of the VCT EMEA Challengers 1 group stage. However, the Russia-Ukraine conflict has led to match delays in the region, most notably for Week 3 games. The VALORANT esports team is currently in discussion with teams and organizations to see how far these delays will go. For the time being, FPX must continue to perform against top EMEA teams their chosen stand-in.
