Version1 Signs Matthew “Wardell” Yu as Stand-in for VALORANT Roster
Version1 has added Matthew “Wardell” Yu to its VALORANT roster as a temporary stand-in for the NA VCT Challengers Stage Two open qualifiers. Wardell will be stepping in for Maxim “wippie” Shepelev, who is unable to play due to visa-related circumstances.
Wardell has been in high demand during the transfer and free agency period between NA VCT stages. After parting ways with TSM last month, Wardell was initially linked to a potential move to 100 Thieves. However, he has been practicing with the V1 roster recently, according to George Geddes.
Qualification and Setbacks for Version1
While Wardell and TSM did not participate in the first stage of NA VCT 2022, Version1 successfully qualified for the Stage One main event through the open qualifiers. They had an impressive 5-0 run in the group stage, but unfortunately, their playoff journey was cut short with a loss to Luminosity in the opening round and a defeat against vanity and Cloud9 in the lower bracket. This setback meant that Version1 fell just one round short of securing a direct invite to the Stage Two main event and will have to go through another open qualifier.
Looking Towards the Future
In their announcement, Version1 expressed their intention for Wippie to rejoin the roster as soon as he is able to do so. The team’s open qualifier run is set to begin on Thursday, April 28.
Stay tuned for updates on Version1’s performance in the NA VCT Challengers Stage Two open qualifiers!
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