European Organization Acend Makes Potential Roster Change in VALORANT
Acend, a prominent European esports organization, is rumored to have made some changes to its VALORANT roster, according to sources familiar with the matter. One of its players, Vlad “Kiles” Shvets, has been absent from recent practices, and the team is currently testing out new players to potentially replace him. However, a final decision on Kiles’ future with the team has not yet been made.
During the team’s recent practice sessions, Acend played with substitute player Yiğithan “DeepMans” Kesici from Wave Esports and David “Fizzy” Figueiredo from Team BDS, sources confirm. Kiles was not present during these practices.
Acend has recently made some significant changes to its roster, including the benching of in-game leader Santeri “BONECOLD” Sassi. BONECOLD is still under contract with the organization, but they are allowing him to explore other options while keeping him on the team.
Kiles and BONECOLD were both key members of Acend’s VALORANT roster that secured the Champions trophy in December. They emerged victorious in the grand finals against Gambit and walked away with a $350,000 prize.
However, since that triumph, Acend has struggled domestically. In the recently concluded first stage of the 2022 EMEA Challengers, Acend finished in fifth place in Group B, failing to qualify for the playoffs. They suffered defeats against Guild, Fnatic, and BBL Esports, resulting in a disappointing 2-3 record.
As a result, Acend will not be able to participate in the upcoming international tournament, VCT Masters in Reykjavík, Iceland. Instead, teams like Team Liquid, Fnatic, and G2 Esports will be representing Europe in the event, which is scheduled to commence on April 11.