Gen.G Finalizes VALORANT Roster with New Coach and General Manager
Gen.G has recently completed its VALORANT roster by signing former CS:GO coach Matthew “mCe” Elmore as a coach and promoting Andrew “Blank” Leverette to general manager.
mCe, who has spent over four years in the professional CS:GO scene, is now transitioning to VALORANT.
After retiring as a player in 2018, mCe began coaching for various successful teams including Rogue, The Quest, and Chaos Esports Club. His most successful tenure was with Chaos from February 2020 to January 2021, helping his team secure multiple wins including a first-place finish at DreamHack Masters Winter 2020: North America in December.
He is now joining a talented roster led by Kenneth “koosta” Suen and Shawn “Shawn12590” O’Riley, as they gear up to compete in the North American region for VALORANT Champions Tour 2021 through Challengers over the next few weeks.
Following the official signing, mCe spoke with about his transition to VALORANT, his time with Chaos, and his excitement about competing with his new team.
mCe on Shawn’s Potential and Improvement
: How excited are you to coach Shawn? What’s the one thing you would tweak about his game?
mCe: Obviously, I’m new to the VALORANT scene, but Shawn has shown tremendous promise as an individual. He’s been phenomenal for us and I believe he can only get better. If there’s one thing I would tweak about his game, it would be his patience because sometimes he needs to hold and wait for his team.
Koosta’s Transition from CS:GO to VALORANT
: What do you think is the key to Kenneth “koosta” Suen successfully transitioning from CS:GO to VALORANT?
Coaching transition from CS:GO to VALORANT
I think the key is understanding the differences between the two games and how VALORANT plays. With more experience, I believe koosta can become a great player. For example, the other day he discovered he could activate Cypher cages from his camera. It has been enjoyable to watch him learn new tricks and make clever plays.
mCe’s Transition from Coaching CS:GO to VALORANT
: How are you handling your own transition from coaching CS:GO to VALORANT?
Transition from coaching CS:GO to VALORANT
Not being able to be in a server all the time is definitely annoying because it’s harder to watch multiple people simultaneously. However, I’ve always been innovative and I’ve been enjoying finding new strategies, darts, and lineups. It will take time, but I’m confident in my ability to handle the transition well.
Biggest Challenges and Excitement for the Future
: What have been the biggest challenges and what makes the change worth it in your short time in VALORANT so far?
Challenges and potential of VALORANT
One of the biggest challenges is the lack of effective ways to study and analyze the game. There are no replays available; we mostly rely on watching Twitch VODs or YouTube videos of tournaments, which can be frustrating. However, I’m most excited about Riot’s support for VALORANT. I believe the game has the potential to become a major title, and I’m looking forward to experiencing the journey.
Reflecting on Chaos and Facing Former Players
: What was special about Chaos this past summer? Did it sting for the journey to end after arguably its greatest chapter?
Reflection on Chaos Esports Club
Chaos was a group of talented and intelligent players who genuinely enjoyed playing together. It’s rare to have a team where everyone likes each other and are friends. We had a blast playing the game together, and I’ll always cherish those memories. It was bittersweet to have reached a point where we could have been invited to international tournaments, only for everything to fall apart.
: Are you looking forward to counter-stratting some of your old players like Nathan “leaf” Orf and Anthony “vanity” Malaspina?
Facing former players in competitive matches
Both Nathan “leaf” Orf and Anthony “vanity” Malaspina are on strong teams, so we will likely face each other occasionally. While “looking forward” might not be the right phrase, I hope to have some impact and outsmart their teams in those matches.
Preparing for Challengers Weekend and Facing NRG
: Looking ahead to the VALORANT Champions Tour Challengers weekend, you face NRG, who defeated you after both teams had already qualified. How do you prepare for a team with lots of experience, and does familiarity with former NA CS talent give you a boost?
Preparation for facing NRG in VALORANT Champions Tour Challengers
We hope to perform better than our previous match, and we expect the strategies and improvements we’ve been working on to pay off. NRG has incredibly talented players who can be difficult to play against when they’re on top of their game. We prepare for them just like any other team, but we anticipate that their rotations and setups will be more refined.
Make sure to follow us on YouTube for more esports news and analysis.
Gen.G, VALORANT roster, signing, CS:GO coach, promotion, general manager, Matthew “mCe” Elmore, Andrew “Blank” Leverette, transition, North American region, VALORANT Champions Tour 2021, Kenneth “koosta” Suen, Shawn “Shawn12590” O’Riley, , coaching, analyzing, CS:GO, VALORANT, challenges, potential, Chaos Esports Club, Nathan “leaf” Orf, Anthony “vanity” Malaspina, NRG, VALORANT Champions Tour Challengers, preparation, experience, NA CS talent, YouTube.