TSM Builds New 'VALORANT' Team Out Of 'Counter-Strike' Players

Riot Games announced the full launch of its new first-person shooter "VALORANT" on June 2, but players aren't waiting to prepare for the esports side of the title. TSM announced the formation of its brand new "VALORANT" roster, complete with players from "Counter-Strike: Global Offensive."

The roster contains Yassine "Subroza" Taoufik, Tayler "Drone" Johnson, Matthew "Wardell" Yu, Stephen "reltuC" Cutler, and James "hazed" Cobb.

"We’re thrilled to be working together with such an iconic organization. Deciding to move on from Counter-Strike to Valorant was a hard decision to make but with a prestigious organization like TSM backing you, it makes the whole thing way more exciting. TSM is a cornerstone of the esports community and we look forward to the opportunity to build something with them moving forward in a new and exciting space. #TSMWIN," the organization stated on their official website.

See Also: 'VALORANT' Available To Play For Everyone On June 2

Apparently, the roster had been planning on shifting into "VALORANT" since the game's closed beta launch at the beginning of April. All five players announced their retirements from "Counter-Strike" and began focusing on Riot Games' tactical shooter before being picked up by TSM.

The chance to jump into a new opportunity was attractive to the "Counter-Strike" players. Stephen "reltuC" Cutler told ESPN he had "been playing pro 'Counter-Strike' for 11 years and feel it's time for something new."

The others echoed his statement.

Yassine "Subroza" Taoufik commented: "I think the current Counter-Strike scene is over-inflated with struggling orgs and players grinding to make it big. I have been playing for so long that I felt it was time to be a part of something new. I also like money."