One of North America's leading Valorant rosters, Team Envy, is likely to be subjected to a change that will see the organization rebranded as Optic Gaming for future competitions.
According to sources on Twitter, the two esports organizations are set to compete in VCT 2022 under a single banner. The decision is expected to be backed by Envy's merger with OpTic earlier in November 2021.
Following the merger, Envy rebranded their Call of Duty League (CDL) esports team from Dallas Empire to OpTic Texas. A similar change is expected for Team Envy's Valorant roster, as images of Pujan "FNS" Mehta and Victor "Victor" Wong in OpTic Gaming jerseys emerged on the organization's official website.
Team Envy and OpTic Gaming merger rumored to unite the organizations in Valorant
According to sources on Twitter, OpTic Gaming's official website advertised its Valorant esports jersey, showcasing FNS and Victor in the jersey. A sample image of the jersey, alongside individual images of the two players, was featured on the online store for their audience to purchase.
The number of jerseys sold is unconfirmed, although an image provided by the source shows the items have sold out. Currently, OpTic's website only features their Halo jerseys, as the post in question has been removed.
OpTic Gaming is a North American organization with a rich history in games like CS: GO, Call of Duty, PUBG, Dota 2, and League of Legends. To bolster their presence in esports, OpTic joined hands with NA powerhouse Team Envy, paving the way for a new approach in their esports ventures, starting with Call of Duty.
OpTic Chicago and Dallas Empire were merged to form OpTic Texas. Envy and OpTic's success in the Call of Duty League was followed by their entry into the Halo Championship Series (HCS) as a single entity.
OpTic is renowned for its efforts in CS: GO's competitive sphere. However, since disbanding in late 2019, the organization has kept its distance from competitive first-person shooters. The merger of the two companies would be an ideal opportunity for OpTic to mark their entry into Valorant.
Team Envy is reputed to be one of NA's premier esports organizations. Their success in VCT 2021 puts them on par with teams like Sentinels and Cloud9 and has the hopes of North America's Valorant community riding on them.
Envy's efforts at VCT 2022 will begin on February 12, with the NA Stage 1 Challengers Group Stage.