G2 Esports to reportedly acquire ex-Sentinels IGL ShahZaM to fulfil its VCT 2023 roster

Popular EMEA organization G2 Esports has reportedly signed former Sentinels athletes, Shahzeb "ShahZaM" Khan and Michael "dapr" Gulino, in their quest to build a brand new VCT 2023 roster.

Despite being involved in a public controversy at the time, G2 Esports was not only deserving of a partnership slot, but also a high-achieving organization that could easily fulfill Riot's terms. Unfortunately, the team didn't make it to Riot's program, and is now looking forward to proving its worth in the Regional Challenger stages and the Ascension tournaments.

During their time at Sentinels, ShahZaM and dapr were allowed to look for new offers following the popular North American organization's decision to rebuild its roster ahead of VCT 2023.

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Former Sentinels' star ShahZaM has reportedly found a new home in G2 Esports' VCT 2023 roster

As per multiple online sources, popular Valorant esports athlete and streamer ShahZaM will be joining G2 Esports to compete in the upcoming tournaments, and most importantly, Valorant Champions Tour 2023. He will also be accompanied by Dapr, another long-standing member of Sentinels' initial and iconic Valorant roster that was formed back in 2020.

Reportedly, ShahZaM and Dapr will be at the forefront of G2 Esports' VCT 2023 roster. They will be backed by former Version1 athletes Erik "penny" Penny and Maxim "wippie" Shepelev. Sources also mentioned that the organization has signed a lesser-known athlete, "OXY", to complete their roster.

With the heavily tweaked VCT 2023 format rapidly approaching its start date, top organizations have been busy building strong rosters and making necessary changes, as required. While various franchised teams have already disclosed information about their new rosters, a few popular organizations who couldn't make it to the Partnership Program are yet to announce their plans.

Riot Games disappointed some fans when they announced the list of teams who made it to franchising. The announcement didn't favor many fan perspectives, with the community feeling that many deserving Valorant teams were unnecessarily left out. G2 Esports is just one example amongst many who missed out on a slot in the VCT Americas and EMEA Leagues.

In October this year, G2 Esports released its old Valorant roster and allowed its players to look for new offers after Riot Games' announcement regarding partnered teams. The organization is now planning to re-enter Valorant esports with a fresh start.

If these sources are correct, ShahZaM is expected to retain his iconic IGL role on the new roster under G2 Esports, with dapr, penny, wippie, and OXY under his command. Furthermore, the organization will likely add in a sixth player as well. One can only speculate in the absence of an official announcement.