The Odin Master won’t be playing in VCT Pacific Stage 2.
JAPAN – Koki “Art” Kagami has been moved to DetonatioN FocusMe’s substitute roster, the team announced on Wednesday. Taking his place in the starting lineup is Tomonori “SSeeS” Okimura, who returns after featuring for the squad last season.
Art addressed his benching in a statement on Twitter, citing his poor performance as the reason behind the roster change. He acknowledged that changes were necessary if the team wanted to improve heading into Stage 2.
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His full statement, translated from Japanese, reads:
“Based on the results of Stage 1, and following the team’s direction heading into Stage 2, we realized that it would be difficult to keep winning by playing the same way we have been. We needed to make some changes.
Due to my performance in Stage 1, I’ve been moved to the sub-roster. To all the fans who were looking forward to seeing me grow in Stage 2, I’m truly sorry.
In Stage 1, I ended up with the worst performance of my career, due to major meta shifts and mindset issues. As the IGL, it’s incredibly frustrating and heartbreaking, but I’m facing the reality of my current skill level and will keep practicing to make the most of any chances I get moving forward.
Lastly, I’d be really happy if you continue to support DFM as we aim to grow even more in Stage 2.”
Art joined DetonatioN FocusMe in October 2024 ahead of their debut in the VCT Pacific League, having previously played for teams like Sengoku Gaming, Jadeite, and Crest Gaming Zst in the Challengers Japan circuit. Known for his signature Odin and his leadership as IGL, Art helped lead DFM to a runner-up finish at the VALORANT Radiant Asia Invitational in Chengdu defeating Paper Rex in the upper bracket before falling to them in the grand final rematch.
Despite a strong and promising showing in the OFF//SEASON, DFM’s momentum didn’t carry over into the VCT Pacific League. The team finished 5th-6th in the Kickoff event, then dropped to dead last in Stage 1, ending their group stage run with a 0-5 record in Group Alpha, the only team without a win.
Art himself struggled throughout, recording a 0.61 VLR rating across 225 rounds in Stage 1, the second-worst in the league, just ahead of Global Esports’ Mark “patrickWHO” Musni (now yokam), who has since left the team.
The lone bright spot in Stage 1 for DetonatioN FocusMe came in Week 4 of the group stage, when they nearly pulled off an upset against Paper Rex. Had they closed out that match, it could have potentially eliminated PRX from playoff contention. Instead, PRX survived the scare, went on a deep playoff run, and eventually claimed the title at VCT Masters Toronto.
SSeeS, who steps in for Art, was part of DetonatioN FocusMe’s active roster during last season’s VCT Pacific campaign, where the team managed just two wins against T1 and ZETA DIVISION. His most notable recent appearance came during the VALORANT Radiant Asia Invitational, where he filled in for Koki “gyen” Nakamura, primarily taking on controller duties, gyen’s usual role.
The last time this particular starting five played together was at the 2024 Riot Games ONE Pro Invitational last December, where they defeated Maximilian “Demon1” Mazanov’s LEVIATAN in a 13-8 best-of-one on Bind. However, it remains unclear how the roles will be distributed within the lineup this time around.
Detonation FocusMe are now:
- Ibuki “Meiy” Seki
- Yu “akame” Gwang-hui
- Koki “gyen” Nakamura
- Kim “Jinboong” Jin-won
- Tomonori “SSeeS” Okimura
- Koki “Art” Kagami (Substitute)
- Hirotaka “Melofovia” Okazaki (Head coach)
- “NorthernLights” (Coach)
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Cover photo courtesy of VCT Pacific
