Latest Valorant pro signings: FaZe Clan & 100 Thieves

For the first couple of weeks after launch, Esports teams maintained a cautious approach to the acquisition of new Valorant players. However, with the announcement of the Valorant Ignition Series and tournaments popping up like a game of whack-a-mole, things are starting to ramp up.

Earlier in the month, iconic gaming and lifestyle brand 100 Thieves revealed its intention to field a top tier roster in Valorant with the signing of Spencer “Hiko” Martin. Thieves founder and CEO Matthew “Nadeshot” Haag explained that they would build out a team around Hiko, a task which has now been completed.

Joining the captain are four former PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds professionals. Up until this point, Keane "Valliate" Alonso, Zachary "Venerated" Roach, Diondre "YeBoiDre" Bond and Alfred "Pride" Choi have been competing in Valorant under the name Team Highground.

Obviously, with Hiko already in place, this meant that Team Highground’s fifth member, Jaden “Vegas” James was left out of the deal. Writing for Dexerto, respected Esports journalist Richard Lewis reported that this decision was based on Vegas and Hiko playing very similar roles, rather than on raw ability.

With Hiko’s expert guidance and the chemistry of the four ex PUBG stars, this 100 Thieves team are well set up for success. They will face their first test this weekend in the T1 x Nerd Street Gamers VALORANT Showdown.

But wait… there’s more. FaZe Clan have joined the party! Undoubtedly the most popular organisation in gaming, FaZe will be bringing their perfect blend of Esports and content to Valorant.

Captaining their new competitive roster is Jason “JasonR” Ruchelski. Having previously represented Optic Gaming in Counter-Strike, JasonR is used to playing under the spotlight. He streams regularly on Twitch and has been loving Valorant so far.

Having retired from Overwatch back in May, it looks like the transition to Valorant has paid off for Corey “Corey” Nigra. He joins JasonR at FaZe and will be making his debut in red at the T1 x NSG Showdown.

Now that orgs are getting the chance to scout players during high level competition, it’s likely that the signings will come thick and fast. It will be exciting to see how FaZe Clan round out their team as well as which other major brands decide to take the plunge into Valorant.