NRG reportedly bringing back FNS & s0m and benching Demon1

NRG Esports is reportedly sending 2023 Valorant Champions winner Max ‘Demon1’ Mazanov to the bench and bringing Pujan ‘FNS’ Mehta and Sam ‘s0m’ Oh back to the roster.

The team has not enjoyed the same results in 2024 as it did under the leadership of FNS in 2023. NRG missed both VCT Masters Madrid and Shanghai after revamping its roster in the off-season by adding Demon1, Ethan ‘Ethan’ Arnold, and Jimmy ‘Marved’ Nguyen.

Facing its last chance at qualifying for an international event during the upcoming VCT Americas Split 2, NRG is changing its roster, according to Sheep Esports.

The organization dropped both FNS and s0m during the 2022-23 off-season, opting to pick up two Valorant world champions in Demon1 and Ethan. The former NRG team members turned to streaming instead of competing during the 2024 season after not getting the offers they wanted from other teams.

Since the end of the group stage of VCT Americas, rumors have been swirling about NRG’s roster as both FNS and s0m started to stream fewer hours. This caused many in the community to speculate that they have been scrimming with VCT Americas teams in tryouts.

NRG and the players have yet to confirm the changes.

Without FNS and s0m on the squad, NRG placed top four in the VCT Americas Kickoff tournament and missed its chance to play at the first Masters event of the season.

During VCT Americas Split 1, the team looked like it took a step back in terms of performance. NRG placed last in its group, going 3-3 in matches but losing out on a playoff spot thanks to round differential.

FNS and s0m will look to bring the squad back to the heights it reached in 2023 when it qualified for every international event, peaking with a top-four placement at Masters Tokyo.

NRG’s roster after the moves will include the following:

• Ethan
• FNS
• s0m
• Austin ‘crashies’ Roberts
• Victor ‘Victor’ Wong
• Chet ‘Chet’ Singh (Head Coach)