Sources: T1 fielding replacements for autimatic; Steel’s arrival imminent

North American and South Korean esports organization T1 is set to trial replacements for Timothy “autimatic” Ta on the VALORANT roster, multiple sources told Upcomer on Thursday. 

Meanwhile, the arrival of new T1 in-game leader Joshua “Steel” Nissan is imminent, and the former 100 Thieves player will lead the roster going forward into next year, as first reported by Upcomer on Nov. 14. This move would leave 100 Thieves with four active players following the recent departures of Quan “dicey” Tran and former analyst Aaron “b0i” Thao, which the organization announced Tuesday. 

Autimatic, who joined T1 in February, could be open to a return to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, multiple sources close to the player told Upcomer. The CS:GO Major winner will not be a part of the upcoming practice sessions with T1, however. 

South Korean player Ha “Spyder” Jeong-woo will also likely not be a part of the upcoming practice. He has not been seen in practice with fellow North American team The Guard, another team he was linked to. 

There could be further changes coming to T1 in the future, with the roster looking to make a major overhaul for the start of next year. T1 have around two months to complete their roster and finalize any decisions made prior to the 2022 VALORANT Championship Tour. 

The organization was one of the first to enter the VALORANT scene with the signing of former CS:GO player Braxton “brax” Pierce. Unfortunately for T1, the eventual roster would not reach the highest level of competition in North America and failed to qualify for each international event this year. 

Autimatic is not the only high-profile VALORANT pro potentially returning to CS:GO. Fellow North American player and 100 Thieves star Nick “nitr0” Cannella has been linked with a reunion on Team Liquid, his former team, in CS:GO, as first reported by Upcomer and later by neL. 

T1 are set to compete in the upcoming VCT 2022, which will begin early next year.