A change in strategy within the DFM camp involves the organization bringing in three additional members from Crazy Raccoon while also parting ways with three as well.
JAPAN – DetonatioN FocusMe revealed that they have terminated the contracts of longtime player Seo “Suggest” Jae-young, in-game leader Cho “JoXJo” Byung-yeon, and head coach Kohei “XrayN” Shimaki on mutual terms.
Stepping into their roles are An “Medusa” Min-cheol, head coach Moon “Astell” Ji-won, and coach “NorthernLights,” resulting in a net addition of six members from Crazy Raccoon to their roster for the upcoming 2024 season.
It becomes the second round of roster changes made since the partnership between DetonatioN FocusMe and Crazy Raccoon that began in November of last year, where the latter will play a role in diverse aspects, including public relations, video production, the coordination of watch parties and events, as well as contributing to the production and sales of merchandise.
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The announcement arrives just less than two weeks before the start of the VCT Pacific KICKOFF, although rumors about the changes had been circulating. A VCT Pacific Media Day sneak peek hinted at Medusa’s presence with the team, suggesting that these adjustments were in progress for days or even weeks before the official announcement.
DetonatioN FocusMe faced scrutiny following their lackluster and disappointing performance at the Riot Games ONE Pro Invitational in December 2023, where they struggled with their new roster and ultimately secured a total of just eight rounds across three maps played against Natus Vincere, ZETA DIVISION, and Bleed Esports.
The team’s winless streak throughout the inaugural VCT Pacific season raised concerns and their OFF//SEASON campaign just further contributed to the decision to re-revamp the roster.
Looking back, DFM’s previous roster faced a lack of success during their tenure in Seoul for the inaugural VCT Pacific League, encountering difficulties in securing a single series win in ten attempts. This placed them as the only team among the 30 across all three regions without a victory.
Japanese veteran Kohei “XrayN” Shimaki was unable to turn around the team’s fortunes and has been relieved of his duties as the coach, a position he first assumed in July of the previous year. Yoshitaka “Anthem” Enomoto and coach Hirotaka “Melofovia” Okazaki are now the only remaining members from the 2023 roster of DFM.
Arriving as the newest player of DFM, Medusa has been a staple member of the Crazy Raccoon core dating back to their first VALORANT roster formation in mid-2020. He enjoyed one of the best years of his career in 2021 when Crazy Raccoon attended all three international tournaments: Masters Reykjavík, Masters Berlin, and Champions Berlin.
With the new lineup, DetonatioN FocusMe will be hoping to shift their trajectory to contend on the same level against the other ten Pacific teams, including their domestic rival, ZETA DIVISION.
DetonatioN FocusMe’s latest roster is:
- 🇯🇵 Ibuki “Meiy” Seki
- 🇯🇵 Yusuke “neth” Matsuda
- 🇯🇵 Souta “popogachi” Morita
- 🇯🇵 Yoshitaka “Anthem” Enomoto
- 🇯🇵 Tomonori “SSeeS” Okimura
- 🇰🇷 An “Medusa” Min-cheol
- 🇰🇷 Moon “Astell” Ji-won (Head coach)
- 🇯🇵 “NorthernLights” (Coach)
- 🇯🇵 Hirotaka “Melofovia” Okazaki (Coach)
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Cover photo courtesy of DetonatioN FocusMe
