Korean organisation T1 has kicked off the Valorant scene by signing the first major competitive player for Riot’s upcoming shooter. Former Counter-Strike: Global Offensive pro Braxton ‘Brax’ Pierce (also previously known as ‘Swag’) has joined the company as a prospective Valorant star, and resident content creator in the meantime.
T1 made the announcement on Twitter, stating Brax has been enlisted as a “creator and professional for Valorant, CS and other FPS titles.” Brax had formally retired from Counter-Strike on February 28, saying he was shifting towards Valorant, then known as Riot’s Project A, and would only be occasionally streaming CS from then on.
Despite being one of the brightest talents in Counter-Strike when he broke onto the scene in 2014, Brax’s brief stint on the pro circuit had a troubled end when he and several of his iBUYPOWER teammates were found guilty of match-fixing in 2015. Consequently, they were all banned from Valve-sponsored events, and Brax turned to streaming while occasionally taking part in smaller tournaments. While not T1’s first FPS signing, he is the first for a non-battle royale shooter.
In a response to T1’s reveal, Brax said on Twitter that he’s eager to bring his understanding of CS over to Valorant, and believes together they’ll build the best team in the world.
I’m excited to announce I will be joining T1 as their first Tactical FPS player ever. I’m eager to carry my knowledge and understanding of CS over to Valorant as we both look to build the best team in the world. I couldn’t be more confident that we will accomplish great things. https://t.co/WmEAyxsMWx
— T1 Brax (@brax1wnl) March 10, 2020
Riot formally showed its new tactical FPS to the world earlier this month to a strong reaction from the esports and streaming world. Featuring 5-on-5 action and teams playing to best-of-13 in matches, Valorant will welcome all players summer 2020.
