The Thai prospect is reportedly set to make a move to Talon Esports after a lengthy period of inactivity, where he will be reunited with former XERXIA teammate Crws.
THAILAND – Talon Esports are on the verge of finalizing the addition of Thanachart “Surf” Rungapajaratkul to their roster, according to multiple sources close to the situation.
The 19-year-old was one of the standout performers for XERXIA in 2022, during which he debuted professionally and straight to the tier-one scene with an impressive high-fragging output to represent Thailand’s best. Should the moves come to fruition, Surf will join up with the rest of the TALON squad in Seoul, where he could make his first appearance at the VCT Pacific KICK//OFF event in mid-February.
The question of whether Surf will serve as a substitute or replace another player in the starting lineup remains completely unknown.
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Surf had been assessing his options since September of last year, six months following his departure from the Challengers roster of XERXIA. He was the only player from the original XERXIA roster to remain in the 2023 season playing the tier-two Challengers TH circuit, with Nutchaphon “sScary” Matarat heading to Bleed Esports and the remaining trio finding their place in Talon Esports for VCT Pacific.
It took a twist when, following Surf’s departure from XERXIA in March prior to the second split, the same team secured qualification for VCT Ascension Pacific four months later which was hosted on his home turf. Since then, Surf has been without organizational backing with his last officials dating back almost a year to February 2023.
Returning to the tier-one circuit of Asia, it seems that Surf’s future lies with Talon Esports where he will join forces once again with Thanamethk “Crws” Mahatthananuyut, with whom he shared the stage in all three international tournaments in 2022 as part of the original XERXIA roster representing TH and APAC.
With Surf’s addition, Talon Esports’ roster will look as follows:
- 🇹🇭 Thanamethk “Crws” Mahatthananuyut
- 🇹🇭 Jittana “JitboyS” Nokngam
- 🇺🇸 Joseph “ban” Seungmin Oh
- 🇸🇬 Lionel “lenne” Lim
- 🇺🇸 Peter “Governor” No
- 🇹🇭 Thanachart “Surf” Rungapajaratkul
- 🇹🇭 Patiphan “Patiphan” Chaiwong (Inactive)
- 🇺🇸 Hector “FrosT” Rosario (Head coach)
- 🇺🇸 Aaron “b0i” Thao (Coach)
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Cover photo courtesy of Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games
