Former DRX player Kim “Zest” Gi-seok is reportedly on BLEED’s wishlist ahead of VCT Pacific Stage 1.
SINGAPORE – Bleed Esports have set their sights on former DRX member Kim “Zest” Gi-seok, according to multiple sources close to the situation which also suggests that a deal is in the works and nearing finalization.
Công Anh “crazyguy” Ngô is understood to be on his way out of BLEED’s active roster following the team’s lackluster campaign at VCT Pacific KICKOFF. It is anticipated that Nutchaphon “sScary” Matarat will assume the in-game leading role, succeeding crazyguy. However, additional information from a source close to the situation has come to light since then, suggesting that there may be further roster changes beyond crazyguy in the works.
ALSO READ: VALORANT Masters Madrid team list finalized
The Vietnamese player has been part of the Singaporean organization’s books since October 2022. Serving as the team’s in-game leader, crazyguy played an important role in Bleed Esports’ dominance in the Challengers circuit, securing victories in both MY/SG Split 1 and 2, which paved the way for their qualification for VCT Ascension Pacific.
After claiming victory at VCT Ascension Pacific, Bleed Esports secured a temporary promotion to the VCT Pacific League for both the 2024 and 2025 seasons. In response to the departures of Tyler “juicy” Aeria and Marcus “nephh” Tan, BLEED chose to bolster their lineup with former X10 Esports player Javier “Egoist” Chua and a high-profile addition in the form of former OpTic player Jaccob “yay” Whiteaker.
Whilst Bleed Esports experienced a degree of success in tier-two of VALORANT, they struggled to kick on in their tier-one debut at VCT Pacific KICKOFF featuring a higher level of competition. Despite the inclusion of North American superstar yay, the team faced setbacks with losses to T1 and Global Esports, ultimately concluding the event in last place alongside DetonatioN FocusMe.
The initial announcement of the roster change came from Mervyn Goh, the owner and founder of the organization on Saturday, who stated that the team “will be making a roster change for the upcoming Split.”
The acquisition of Zest marks the Korean player’s return to the pinnacle of VALORANT, following his departure from the Korean powerhouse DRX in January. Originally slated to compete in the entire Regular Season of VALORANT Challengers Korea Split 1 with Team IAM, featuring some former F4Q players, Zest’s tenure with the team was cut short, as the official announcement of his departure came after only two matches in the main event.
Zest shared his thoughts on his sudden departure from Team IAM on Instagram, expressing, “In my heart, I still want to compete and grow with the highest echelon of players, and I don’t want to be left behind.
“The time I spent with IAM and our fans was a very joyous and fun time, but I don’t want to settle for my current level. Thank you all sincerely for always supporting me.”
The story is developing…
Bleed Esports currently have the following roster:
- 🇸🇬 Derrick “Deryeon” Yee
- 🇸🇬 Javier “Egoist” Chua
- 🇻🇳 Ngô “crazyguy” Anh
- 🇹🇭 Nutchaphon “sScary” Matarat
- 🇺🇸 Jaccob “yay” Whiteaker
- 🇩🇪 Nikola “LEGIJA” Ninić (Head coach)
- 🇸🇬 Sushant “Ominous” Jha (Analyst)
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 Colin Young-Wolff/Riot Games
