BRENA Esports Announces VALORANT Global Invitational with Korean and North American Teams
BRENA Esports has revealed an upcoming invitational tournament for the VALORANT Champions Tour OFF//SEASON circuit. The tournament will feature some of Korea’s best teams and a surprise invite from North America—Cloud9.
During the TEN VALORANT Global Invitational taking place on October 7 and 8, Cloud9 will join the top two Korean teams from the 2023 season, DRX and T1. As the VCT player rosters continue to shuffle, it remains unclear which players will represent Cloud9 and DRX at the event. The fourth competing team has yet to be announced.
About BRENA Esports and the Invitational
BRENA, short for Busan Esports Arena, has hosted various esports competitions in Busan, South Korea’s second-largest city known for its thriving esports culture.
BRENA announced the invitational through a translated Twitter announcement. They mentioned that DRX, T1, and Cloud9 will be joined by the fourth team, yet to be revealed, to play in the “VALORANT Global Invitational.”
Potential Global Representation and VCT Roster Updates
Despite being advertised as a “global invitational,” the current team list only includes squads from Korea and North America. Speculations suggest that the final team might come from another region, such as EMEA or China.
While T1 has already finalized their roster for the 2024 season, the other two invited teams—Cloud9 and DRX—are yet to announce their lineups for next year. T1’s roster includes star players Son “xeta” Seon-ho, Lee “Carpe” Jae-hyeok, and Ha “Sayaplayer” Jung-woo. They have also added veteran sentinel Lee “k1ng” Seung-won, rookie Ham “iZu” Woo-joo, and former CS:GO pro player Kevin “xccurate” Susanto.
Cloud9 currently has only two players officially signed to the team—Erick “Xeppaa” Bach and Jake “jakee” Anderson. It is rumored that former in-game leader Anthony “vanity” Malaspina will be returning to the team, along with other notable signings.
As for DRX, their off-season has been quiet so far. Updates regarding their player roster have not been provided, possibly due to their preparations for the League of Legends World Championships in October.
VALORANT in Busan and the Tournament’s Impact
Despite the VALORANT Champions Tour Pacific League being held in Seoul this year, Busan has not hosted any major VCT events. The city is actively campaigning to host the 2030 World Expo and has been attracting international events, bringing attention to its vibrant esports culture.
The upcoming invitational tournament not only provides an opportunity for the four selected teams to experiment with their new rosters but also aims to further promote Korean VALORANT within the community.
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