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Popular organization and VCT partner T1 is reportedly looking to acquire Lee "Carpe" Jae-hyeok, an Overwatch pro, for their professional Valorant roster, as per online sources. Carpe is presently a part of Philadelphia Fusion, an esports team representing the city and is known for dominant performances against competitors in the Overwatch League.
Philadelphia Fusion is owned by Comcast Spectacor and SK Telecom, the same as T1. This is why Carpe's potential transition between the teams is expected to go smoothly.
Earlier this month, T1 announced the signing of five players for its VCT 2023 roster in a captivating video. However, the VCT rulebook requires a minimum roster size of at least six players, leaving the organization with an important requirement to fulfill. If this rumor is indeed true, Carpe will be joining T1 to complete the Valorant roster ahead of VCT 2023.
VCT Pacific League partner T1 is reportedly on the verge of completing their Valorant roster
With Carpe's speculated entry, T1's Valorant roster looks rather strong in terms of competitive esports experience. Here's what the roster is expected to look like, speculated and official athletes included:
- Son "xeta" Seon-ho
- Byeon "Munchkin" Sang-beom
- Joseph "Ban" Seungmin Oh
- Ha "Sayaplayer" Jung-woo
- Lee "Carpe" Jae-hyeok
- Kim "BeomJun" Beom-jun
The announcement video from October 23 showcased BeomJun alongside xeta, Munchkin, Ban, and Sayaplayer, which may have seemed like a proclamation of their playing five. However, head coach Yoon "Autumn" Eu-ddeum later announced player roles, which instated BeomJun as the sixth man and indicated that T1 was still looking for a fifth player.
Interestingly, Carpe has two former Overwatch pros waiting for him on T1's VCT 2023 roster. Sayaplayer and Munchkin are veterans of Blizzard's hero-shooter and were a part of popular league teams, namely Florida Mayhem, Seoul Dynasty, and Boston Uprising.
As per Autumn's announcement, returning athlete Sayaplayer will assume the role of a Duelist, while Munchkin will be the IGL. Carpe's role is currently unknown. That said, Carpe has dominated his opponents with Damage Heroes like Cassidy and Widowmaker in Overwatch and may likely stick to a flex or a Duelist role in Valorant. Xeta and Ban are expected to assume the primary roles of an Initiator and a Sentinel (Chamber), respectively.
While rumors of Carpe joining T1's Valorant roster seem believable, fans may want to take it with a grain of salt to avoid disappointment.
Fans will officially witness T1's newly formed roster take on their opponents in the VCT 2023 kickoff tournament scheduled for February 2023. The tournament will be hosted as a LAN event in São Paulo, Brazil and will feature all thirty partnered teams.
