VCL Roster Cull Begins: Shopify Rebellion Drops Three Players
Shopify Rebellion has made the decision to release three players from their roster following a string of disappointing performances in the VALORANT scene. The dropped players include VALORANT stars Anthony “vanity” Malaspina and Brandon “bdog” Sanders, as well as assistant coach Travis “tdawgg” Regan. This move comes after the team finished in last place at a recent North American event.
Although Shopify struggled at the NA VALORANT Challenger’s League, they managed to secure a spot for next year’s VCL NA tournament. However, the team’s journey came to an end when they were defeated by M80 and G2, resulting in a 7-8th place finish alongside TSM.
For ex-Cloud9 IGL vanity, his time on the roster was far from smooth. The Skye-main from America took on the role in March 2023, only to be removed just three months later. As for bdog, his departure marks the end of a year-long journey with Shopify.
Vanity joined the lineup at the start of the NA VCL’s second split. Although Shopify performed well in the regular season, finishing fifth, they were ultimately bested by the teams they had previously triumphed over.
Shopify faced a devastating defeat at the hands of the number one NA roster, M80. The match pushed Shopify to the lower bracket after a 2-0 loss. Their last chance at redemption came against G2, where they nearly made a comeback. However, G2’s stronghold on Ascent proved too much for Shopify, resulting in a collapse and a final scoreline of 13-2.
As for the three ex-Shopify players, they are actively searching for new teams. Vanity’s experience with top-tier squads may give him another opportunity in the IGL role, but whether he can replicate his previous success on the Cloud9 roster remains uncertain.
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