T1’s CEO Joe Marsh recently shared his insights in an interview regarding the organization’s approach to its future in Valorant, mirroring the successful youth development strategy that led to the discovery of Faker during the early days of League of Legends.
Faker was originally scouted by T1 and signed to develop his skills on the B-team, ultimately evolving into the renowned player he is today. Since then, T1 has expanded its youth academy, nurturing emerging stars like Zeus and Gumayusi who complement their famous player.
In a conversation with RTP Arena, Marsh outlined T1’s plans to apply the same development model to Valorant, especially after previous teams did not meet expectations. The CEO confirmed that the upcoming squad will consist of 11 members, featuring an all-Korean roster.
“We currently have our esports academy with approximately 250 students, and half of them are focused on Valorant… The top Valorant player will likely come from our academy, not as a castoff from CS or Overwatch, hence our investment at the youth level,” he stated.
T1 was among the pioneering organizations to enter Valorant, initially signing a North American team comprised of former CS players in 2020. However, those North American rosters failed to make an impact in the competitive scene. T1’s fortunes began to improve after joining VCT Pacific with Asian and international lineups.
Interestingly, during the VCT league era, T1 continued to recruit seasoned talent from other esports, including former Overwatch stars like Carpe, Munchkin, and Sayaplayer, alongside Counter-Strike veteran xccurate.
Since shifting focus from North America, T1 has competed in three major VCT events, yet they have yet to secure any championships or achieve significant placements, apart from a third-place finish in the 2023 VCT Pacific League.
Marsh announced that T1 will unveil its Valorant roster for the 2025 season in October, providing fans with a preview of the organization’s new vision ahead of their VCT campaign.
Many teams have successfully discovered hidden talents through Valorant’s solo queue in 2023 and 2024. For instance, Evil Geniuses elevated Demon1 from anonymity to Champions trophy holder, while Gen.G scouted Karon, who helped their 2024 roster secure a Masters title.
It remains to be seen whether T1 can similarly identify and cultivate talents of comparable caliber; however, given their impressive track record in League of Legends, they might just find the Faker of Valorant.
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