T1 Sonii removed from Valorant team after heated argument with Ninja

Alan Bernal

T1 streamer Michael ‘sonii’ Sherman has found himself out of the Valorant Ignition Series team ‘100 Blifted’ after a heated exchange with Tyler ‘Ninja’ Blevins led to the change in roster.

In the days leading up to the switch, Sonii and Ninja were playing in Competitive matchmaking with fellow 100 Blifted mates Austin ‘Morgausse’ Etue and Alexander ‘LeX’ Deily. The night was back and forth with wins and losses, and the typical banter between the collective was sparse throughout the games.

It wasn’t until the team got on Bind where the situation got to a boiling point for both Ninja and Sonii. While the exchange mirrored countless other moments of flame between the two streamers, this one apparently had ripple effects a day later.

“Updating here cause I know a lot of people were fans and supported us as a team.. Tyler has made the decision that he is unable to play with me being on the team,” Sonii said on Twitter.

A day before the team was supposed to compete in the FaZe Clan Ignition Series Qualifier event, Sonii “opened up the discussion” with the rest of the 100 Blifted members as to whether or not he should stay on the team.

“‘If you guys want to play with Ninja over me, I understand,” sonii said, recalling the talk he had with the rest of the squad. “‘He probably brings a lot to the table for you guys like stream growth and whatever else you want to argue.’ …And the guys kind of just chose Ninja over me to play with.”

The T1 representative said that Ninja “truly felt [he] wasn’t good enough,” and was later removed from the team.

Now 100 Blifted will go through the FaZe Clan Ignition Series Qualifiers with a new makeup to try and make it through to the main event.

The Sonii-led influencer squad previously went 0-4 in the group stage at the PAX Arena Invitational, preventing a playoff bid.

The FaZe Clan Invitational qualifiers are set for August 1 and 2, and will showcase NA Valorant teams competing for the biggest take of the $50,000 prize pool.

About The Author

Alan is a former staff writer for Dexerto based in Southern California who covered esports, internet culture, and the broader games/streaming industry. He is a CSUF Alum with a B.A. in Journalism. He's reported on sports medicine, emerging technology, and local community issues. Got a tip or want to talk?