M80 departs VALORANT, releases entire roster and vacates Challengers Slot

In a surprising turn of events, M80 announced via their official X account that they are officially parting ways with competitive VALORANT. The North American organization has released all of its remaining roster - Banh "bao" Bao, Mirel "Kyu" Braco Hrustemovic, Victor "Victor" Wong - and head coach Chet "Chet" Singh, effectively dissolving its VALORANT operations for the foreseeable future. This news comes just days after they transferred two of their players, Eduardo "sato" Sato and Anthony "Okeanos" Nguyen to Leviatán.

The move also includes vacating their Challengers slot, which will now be passed on to the players under the new banner "Chet's Pets."

The organization issued the following statement:

“Today we are releasing Bao, Kyu, Victor, and Chet from M80. We will be releasing our Challengers slot to the players to compete as the free agent team ‘Chet’s Pets.’ We want to thank them for their contributions to M80 and wish them the best of luck moving forward. While our road to Ascension this year ends here, VALORANT will always be a part of our DNA. Stay tuned.”

A Challenger Staple Says Goodbye

M80 has been a consistent presence in the Tier 2 North American VALORANT scene. Since entering the Challengers League, the org carved out a reputation as one of the region’s strongest and most resilient teams. Their rosters regularly placed high, and M80 qualified for Ascension two consecutive years; a rare feat that few organizations have achieved. Despite consistent performances and deep playoff runs, they fell short of securing a coveted VCT Americas slot.

Their first brush with promotion came in 2023, when they reached the Grand Final of VCT 2023 - Challengers Ascension: AMERICAS, only to be swept aside by The Guard. That roster has since been acquired by G2 Esports and is now dominating in VCT Americas, making M80’s loss all the more bitter in retrospect.

In 2024, M80 returned to VCT 2024 - Ascension: AMERICAS with renewed vigor. They held a 2-1 map lead in the Grand Final against 2GAME Esports, but a heartbreaking reverse sweep saw their promotion hopes dashed once again. However, 2GAME hasn’t been able to make the same mark as G2 in the Americas League. Thus leading many to believe if M80 would have been better off with that spot.

Leaving a Legacy Despite the Shortcomings

While M80 never made it to VALORANT's top tier, the organization has been instrumental in developing talent. Perhaps the most notable success story is that of Amine "Johnqt" Ouarid, a former M80 player who is now the IGL for Sentinels. Johnqt went on to win an international title at VCT 2024 - Masters Madrid, cementing himself as one of the game’s elite IGLs. M80’s scouting and development pipeline contributed to the overall strength of the North American scene, even if they didn’t reap the rewards themselves.

The End of a Chapter

M80’s departure from VALORANT marks the end of a meaningful chapter in NA Tier 2 history. Though they never achieved promotion, their influence and dedication to the scene were undeniable. With "Chet’s Pets" now taking the reins, fans can only hope that the players find greater success under a new identity. Whether or not M80 returns to VALORANT in the future, their legacy is already written in the path they helped pave.

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Featured Image Source: Riot Games