Munchkin is officially back for a second chapter with T1
SOUTH KOREA – T1 have officially welcomed back Byeon “Munchkin” Sang-beom, marking the in-game leader’s return to the organization he previously represented during the 2023 VCT Pacific season. To make space for the Masters Shanghai champion, T1 have reassigned Kang “DH” Dong-ho to the T1 Academy roster.
During his first run with T1 in late 2022 to 2023, Munchkin teamed up with Lee “carpe” Jae-hyeok, with whom he now reunites, though the former Overwatch star now serves more as the sixth man/substitute of the team. That season saw T1 finish third in the inaugural VCT Pacific League and qualify for both VALORANT Masters Tokyo and VALORANT Champions Los Angeles, exiting early in both events.
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After departing T1, Munchkin joined domestic rival Gen.G, where he delivered the most successful stretch of his VALORANT career to date: winning VALORANT Masters Shanghai, finishing second at VALORANT Masters Madrid, lifting trophies at Pacific Kickoff and Stage 2, and ultimately earning Season Finals MVP and IGL of the Year honors.
The 2025 season, however, was more turbulent for Gen.G. Despite podium finishes at Kickoff (3rd) and Stage 1 (2nd) and a strong group stage run at Masters Toronto, they faltered in playoffs and placed third at EWC 2025.
Their struggles continued domestically, as Gen.G finished the Pacific Stage 2 regular season in 7-8th place, marking the lowest regional result in the organization’s history and ultimately costing them a spot at VALORANT Champions Paris.
Now returning to T1, Munchkin reunites with a familiar core. Carpe remains with the team. T1’s coaching staff still includes Lee “CheongGak” Il-ho, who previously worked with Munchkin during his first tenure.
The roster also features former Cloud9 Korea teammate Yu “BuZz” Byung-chul, as well as Kim “Meteor” Tae-oh, with whom Munchkin won Masters Shanghai during their time together on Gen.G.
“The T1 VALORANT team competed in the VCT Pacific, and I was there at the start of it all. The year 2023 with T1 was like a new beginning for me. After that, I was able to start a new journey. Winning the Pacific, and then the Masters. All I could think was, ‘I finally did it’. The reason I’m back at T1 is that there is a goal still waiting to be achieved. I’ve been through a lot, and now everything is clear.”
T1 now have:
- 🇰🇷 Ham “iZu” Woo-joo
- 🇰🇷 Kim “stax” Gu-taek
- 🇰🇷 Kim “Meteor” Tae-o
- 🇰🇷 Yu “BuZz” Byung-chul
- 🇰🇷 Byeon “Munchkin” Sang-beom
- 🇰🇷 Lee “Carpe” Jae-hyeok
- 🇰🇷 Lee “CheongGak” Il-ho (Coach)
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Cover photo courtesy of T1
