For the VCT 2023 lineup, KOI will recruit former top EMEA talent.
According to numerous sources cited by Dot Esports, the Spanish organization KOI is planning to add three players and a top coach to the roster of VALORANT.
According to Blix’s first claim and sources close to Dot Esports, KOI is in talks to recruit former Guild teammates Jose Luis “koldamenta” Aranguren Herrero and head coach André “BARBARR” Möller. Patryk “starxo” Kopczynski, a former Acend player, and Bogdan “Sheydos,” a former M3C player, are reportedly both planning to join KOI.
Oscar “mixwell” Caellas Colocho, a Spanish superstar who has been associated with the team, will not be added to the squad, claims Blix.
At the time of writing, the remaining players on the roster are not known.
Both Sheydos and Starxo have illustrious careers in EMEA VALORANT; they each have a Masters or Champions title under their belts. In a matchup between the two players at Champions the previous year, Acend defeated Gambit in the championship game.
Sheydos was unable to collaborate with Riot Games for the next EMEA partnership league since they competed with M3C, an unofficial group. Acend submitted an application for the cooperation but was unsuccessful in getting an agreement.
KOI, on the other hand, is one of the most well-known esports leagues in Spain and is run by streamer and celebrity Ibai Llanos. Since its iteration, KOI has grown a strong fan base and has been successful in securing a deal with Riot to play in the EMEA international competition the next season.
Two days ago, KOI and Rogue agreed into a collaboration that would see both companies “merge forces” for additional Riot games like League of Legends.