DarkZero Esports Expands into VALORANT with Kooky Koalas Roster
DarkZero Esports, a renowned North American organization known for its competitive Rainbow Six Siege team, has made a significant move by signing the Kooky Koalas VALORANT roster and their coach. The new lineup will represent DarkZero in the open qualifiers of Challengers One, which is part of the final stage of the VCT.
Kooky Koalas surprised everyone by appearing in the Challengers Three main event during VCT Stage One in late February. Despite being an unsigned roster, they defeated Spacestation Gaming, Built By Gaming, and beastcoast to reach the main event, where they faced tough opponents in Gen.G and Luminosity. While they couldn’t secure victory, the team subsequently achieved great success in various second-tier events in North America, including a recent grand finals win over Soniqs in the Pittsburgh Knights Gauntlet for June.
DarkZero has been a prominent figure in the North American R6 Siege esports scene since its establishment in late 2018. The team’s most notable accomplishments came in 2020, with a top-six finish at the Six Invitational and a grand finals sweep over TSM in the August Major in North America. They did, however, face defeat against Ninjas in Pyjamas, the 2020 grand finalists and 2021 Invitational champions, in the Six Invitational.
In the official press release, DarkZero founder and CEO Zachary Matula expressed confidence in Riot Games, stating that they trust the “health of the League of Legends ecosystem” will be mirrored in VALORANT. The organization is excited about expanding into a new scene, and coach Andy “Andersin” Collins mentioned that having the complete support of a caliber organization like DarkZero is overwhelming.
The DarkZero VALORANT roster consists of Adam “Ange” Milian (formerly with Rise), Kyle “ScrewFace” Jensen (formerly with Mamba Mode Gaming), Nick Harmon (formerly with MMG), Yannick “KOLER” Blanchette (formerly with NRG and Immortals), captain Andy “Andersin” Collins, and coach Zack “huuaw” Solomon.
The open qualifiers for Stage Three NA Challengers One will begin on July 1. DarkZero confirmed on Twitter that the team will be competing from their headquarters in Las Vegas.
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