by With North American Challengers qualifiers set to start next month, TSM have completed their Valorant roster with the addition of James “hazed” Cobb and Nicholas “NaturE” Garrison.
The organization made the announcement using a 58-second video clip posted on Twitter captioned “TSM Valorant is officially back. See you in Ascension.”
Hazed is a well-known name in the esports scene and a familiar face to TSM fans, as he was a member of the team’s roster from mid-2020 to 2021. He is considered one of the best players in North America and will be returning to the team after a successful run with NGR.
NaturE, on the other hand, is a relative newcomer to the scene, but has already made a name for himself with strong performances in recent Valorant tournaments. He is known for his aggressive playstyle and his ability to take over games with his sharp aim, which he displayed in his time with Immortal and Gen.G.
Both players will be joining most of the starting roster from last season, including Corey “corey” Nigra, Johann “seven” Hernandez, and Anthony “gMd” Guimond. Yassine “Subroza” Taoufik, a longstanding member of the roster, will not be included in the starting group. Prior to hazed’s return, Subroza was the only remaining original member of the mouseSpaz group that signed with TSM in 2020.
Despite having a strong relationship with Riot Games, TSM were overlooked for a place in the revamped Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) for 2023. The organization will look to take a proactive approach to improve its reputation by featuring in the lower tiers – NA Challengers and Ascension.
After a strong start to 2020 that included a grand final run at First Strike, TSM experienced limited success in the subsequent two years of the VCT, with only a few successful runs through regional qualifiers and no international appearances. The team experienced significant turnover in talent, including the loss of rising star Sean “bang” Bezerra to 100 Thieves.
The road to the NA Challengers Ascension tournament will not be easy for TSM, with teams such as G2, M80, and The Guard putting together formidable rosters that will compete for the single VCT Americas promotion spot.
