The lineup from the previous Orangutan squad has come together once again for the second Split of VALORANT Challengers South Asia this season under the MLT Esports banner.
INDIA – The five players who represented South Asia at VCT Ascension Pacific last year have joined forces again with the arrival of Jon Michael “Tesseract” Piga and Rajiv “LeVi” Satpute to MLT Esports.
They will be filling in the positions left by Rafi “frostmind” Diandra, Saaransh “Whimp” Dang, and Soumyadeep “DOXZ3RRR” Dey, with the latter two having moved on to join Carnival Gaming and Reckoning Esports, respectively.
The Indonesian import will be concluding a chapter of his career in the South Asian scene after initially joining Orangutan on trial in August, eventually becoming a permanent member two months later. He was acquired by MLT Esports along with the rest of the squad. During his time under the Orangutan banner, frostmind secured victories in three OFF//SEASON events: EMG Pro Series South Asia, TEC Challenger Series 10, and Predator League India.
Whimp and DOXZ3R were announced a day after the initial announcement of the former OG quartet, which expanded the roster to a six-man lineup. The latter player, however, was predominantly kept in reserve in a substitute role, having participated in only one series during his tenure with MLT when the team faced Orangutan.
ALSO READ: SCARZ down to three; part ways with Allen, Only1, Tempura, analyst moss
(Photo courtesy of MLT Esports)
Tesseract and LeVi reunite the core of the former Orangutan squad, which clinched victories in both Challengers League South Asia Split 1 and 2 last year and earned qualification for VCT Ascension Pacific in Bangkok representing the region. However, there will be a slight alteration from that specific roster lineup as Rishi “RvK” Vijayakumar will not be starting, as he is now a part of Reckoning Esports. Instead, it will be the former substitute, LeVi, stepping up.
The duo will once again be joined by Sabyasachi “Antidote” Bose, Azis “azys” Nandang, and Akram “Rawfiul” Virani, who were all acquired as a package following their departure from Orangutan. MLT Esports will be hoping that this move will bring an end to a period of underperformance, considering the previous roster’s track record of only two victories against Reckoning Esports and bottom-ranked team Carnival Gaming.
“Our comeback legacy would be heavy on many. We’re leaving our Cup 1 journey behind and focusing on our true potential! With a stronger mental game and new additions like LeVi and Tesseract, we’re ready to dominate plus, we have unfinished business with Medal, True Rippers, Revenant, and Grayfox.”
MLT’s first challenge with the new roster will happen today as they face off against Medal Esports in the opening week of VALORANT Challengers League South Asia Split 1 Cup 2 at 5:30 PM SGT (UTC+8).
MLT Esports now have:
- 🇮🇳 Akram “Rawfiul” Virani
- 🇮🇳 Sabyasachi “Antidote” Bose
- 🇵🇭 Azis “azys” Nandang
- 🇵🇭 Jon Michael “Tesseract” Piga
- 🇮🇳 Rajiv “LeVi” Satpute
- 🇵🇰 Anas “traNz” Ayub (Substitute)
- 🇸🇬 Felipe “skye” Lim (Head coach)
For more insights on the Asian VALORANT scene and upcoming content like this, be sure to like and follow VALO2ASIA on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.
Cover photo courtesy of VCT Pacific
