REJECT have completed the overhaul of their squad with the signing of three new players, the Tokyo-based organization announced on Thursday.
JAPAN – REJECT have completed an overhaul of their squad with the signing of Yu “Akame” Gwang-hui, “muto”, and Chae “GangPin” Jeong-mu, it has been announced. The team had been operating with an incomplete roster since the exits of “BinBin” and “Nura” in April, coupled by the expiration of Ryujin “ЯIA” Yoshida’s contract just last month.
The addition of three 19-year-old players completes REJECT’s starting lineup for the upcoming season. Akame, muto, and GangPin will be joining the ranks alongside Takumi “Flax” Harada and “BRIAN”, the only players from the previous roster to stay with the team.
Returning to a mix of Japanese and Korean talents once again, REJECT send out a strong message with their young squad, averaging only 19.8 years old, ready to contend for the Japanese crown.
ALSO READ: Gen.G release five players and two coaches
REJECT will be hoping to return to winning ways after enduring a slump in the 2023 season, during which they failed to register a single win in the Regular Season of Split 1 and failed to make the cut for Split 2. Adding a twist to the tale, Jadeite’s Akame and muto were the very team that knocked REJECT out of the open qualifier for the latter event.
“Last time we formed a team with only Japanese players, but this time we have incorporated foreign players in our roster composition,” head coach Yoshinori “KeNNy” Minami told Negitaku. “After VCL Japan Split 2 ended, we discussed within the team and decided that we wanted a top-tier duelist. Strong Japanese duelists are already on the top teams, so it was hard to acquire them. Therefore, we looked at a few Korean players who understand some Japanese and ultimately decided on the current members.
“Reflecting on the past year, one challenge was building interpersonal relationships among the players. This time, taking that into consideration, we selected players who already have some relationship with existing members.”
As previously mentioned, Akame and muto come from Jadeite together where they narrowly missed out on victory in VCL Japan Split 2, being just one map victory shy of representing their region at the Ascension Pacific in Bangkok.
Meanwhile, Gangpin has been signed on a free transfer following his departure from IGZIST in May, where he would make the main event of both VCL Japan Split 1 and 2. Gangpin brings a wealth of experience with Japanese teams to the table, having competed in the region since 2021 with teams like Feeling, Sengoku Gaming, and most recently, IGZIST. He now takes the baton from his former Pro Gaming team Selector teammate, ЯIA, with whom he competed early in his career.
“We have a goal of qualifying for international leagues and ultimately putting up a good performance in world championships,” Flax shared with Negitaku regarding the team’s goal and his personal look on the team. “However, our immediate focus is on winning domestically.”
“In the 2023 season, there were Japanese teams that have almost made it in Ascension, so when we can win domestically, the path to qualifying for international leagues will naturally become clearer. We consider domestic victory to be the first major hurdle we need to overcome, so we intend to focus heavily on that and break through.”
The new REJECT roster will be debuting in a few days in the Open Qualifier of Red Bull Home Ground Tokyo, kicking off on September 11.
With these changes, REJECT now have:
- 🇰🇷 Yu “Akame” Gwang-hui
- 🇰🇷 Chae “GangPin” Jeong-mu
- 🇯🇵 Takumi “Flax” Harada
- 🇯🇵 “BRIAN”
- 🇯🇵 “muto”
- 🇯🇵 Yoshinori “KeNNy” Minami (Head coach)
- 🇯🇵 Kenichiro “Flame” Sugimoto (Coach)
- 🇯🇵 Junki “Mikke” Yamamoto (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 REJECT
