Esports XO is ready to acquire the Valorant roster of Samurai Esports and Simar 'Psy' Sethi, the captain of the team, confirmed that in an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda Esports.
Samurai Esports entered the Valorant scene last February. Under the supervision of Atif "Samurai" Kazi, Samurai Esports hired the former XTZ Esports team which was playing at that time.
At that point in time, the roster for Samurai Esports comprised of the following players:
- Simar "Psy" Sethi
- Shailesh " Blackhawk" Dalvi
- Saaransh "Whimp" Dang
- Harsh "Harshhh" Arora
- Tejas "Rexy" Kotian
Harsh and Rexy later stepped down from the roster while Karan "Excali" Mhaswadkar and Jigar "sMx" Mehta joined the squad. Ayan "ayaNq" Bhattacharya has also been a part of the squad for the last couple of months.
Since its formation, Samurai Esports has been one of the top teams of India. The team has finished within the top four spots in almost every tournament they played. Now, Esports XO is ready to acquire the squad ahead of the Valorant Conquerors Championship India Qualifier 2. Former Enigma Gaming star Prabhdeep "Ghost" Bhatia will also join the squad under the new organization.
In a discussion with Sportskeeda Esports' Rishab Chakladar, Simar "Psy" Sethi answered some of the questions regarding the buy-out and the team's future.
1) Psy, you and your team have experienced some success over the last few months while representing Samurai Esports. You have finished within the top 3 spots in almost every tournament you have played. How was your journey being a part of this organization?
Psy: It has been a tall task for us to be able to deliver these results with an inconsistent 5th. We are still hungry to win and be the best and I will not stop until we become the best team in India and then in South-East Asia.
2) Valorant Conquerors Championship India Qualifier 2 will start within a couple of days. Will these certain changes affect the team’s preparation ahead of the tournament?
Psy: We are starting our preparation for the Valorant Conquerors Championship tomorrow and and we are going to play with Ghost as our 5th. We have done a couple of theory sessions regarding drafts and other aspects of the game. We will keep our heads down and practice as hard as we can.
3) Jigar "sMx" Mehta was part of your roster for India Qualifier 1. After the conclusion of the tournament, he left the squad. Who will replace him in the upcoming India Qualifier 2? Should fans expect any sort of surprise addition to your roster?
Psy: We had an amazing run with Jigar! He played really well. We wanted to switch roles in our team, and with Ghost we believe we can perform to our fullest potential. This had nothing to do with sMx dropping out of the squad. I hope for the best for him in the near future as he is one of the best riflers in the country.
I hope you guys get to see some amazing performances in the upcoming tournaments from our side as well.
4) As a captain and the IGL of the team, how confident are you ahead of the Valorant Conquerors Championship India Qualifier 2?
Psy: As I have said, we are switching our roles in the game. Whimp is going to be the IGL from now on and I'll be moving to the Sentinel role. I am pretty confident with the roster and with the addition of Ghost, our prime focus is to grind.
5) TEC Gauntlet Season 1 was your last tournament as a part of Samurai Esports. You are unfortunately out of the tournament after losing against F1LS Esports in the Lower-Bracket Quarter Final. How was the journey?
Psy: Unfortunately, we are out of the TEC Gauntlet Season 1. It's not what we were hoping for, but wins and losses are something we can learn from and grow as an individual and as a team. With this, we conclude our journey with ayaNq as well. I wish him all the best for the future and hope to see him dawning the colors of another organization soon. I would like to wish all the teams remaining in the tournament all the best and hope to see some action packed games. We’ll be back next season to prove what we’re capable of!
6) Psy, you guys are going to join Esports XO in the next few days. What are your expectations from the new org?
Psy: We are excited to work with such a big brand like XO. I can't wait to play under this banner. I hope we can win a lot of tournaments. Valorant Conquerors Championship will be our first tournament under XO banner.