TSM Valorant Moving to Austin,TX
TSM, one of the most successful organisations in the early stages of Valorant esports, struggles once again in the second season of Valorant Champions Tour. Despite multiple roster swaps and changes in leadership, the organisation still failed to achieve any noticeable results in the recent qualifiers.
They attempted to qualify for VCT NA: Challengers 1 and ended up losing in the first match in both qualifiers. This has forced the organisation to rethink their approach and introduce several new changes, one of which includes the team relocating to Austin, Texas.
TSM Valorant Updates
Dominic Kallas, the VP of Esports of TSM, posted the update on his Twitter yesterday. There, he detailed some of the changes planned for the TSM Valorant team.
He started off by saying:
“I love this game and this team, but ultimately a lot needs to change because this isn’t the standard we set for ourselves here at TSM.”
And this is very true. TSM were certainly aiming high in 2020. They won several smaller tournaments and even finished 2nd in the First Strike North America. However, their early success didn’t translate well over to Valorant Champions Tour, where they’ve been one of the least successful teams in all three stages of the previous season.
Dominic continued:
“We have given our GM full agency to decide on who we believe is, talented, motivated, coachable, and overall the best fit for the team going forward.”
While this statement could seem a little ambiguous, it certainly suggests that some members of the current team might not stay for much longer.
https://twitter.com/KallasDominic/status/1490366390422835200?cxt=HHwWgMCs5b6V7K4pAAAA
And then the big announcement came:
“After this process is complete we will be moving the main team to Austin to better improve teamwork, set practice/worth ethic expectations, and reset the culture.”
In case you weren’t already aware, TSM’s headquarters are currently in Los Angeles, California. So their decision to move the team to a different state could perhaps just be what the organisation needs. Whether that’s due to specific conditions that weren’t met in Los Angeles, or for any other reason, a change of scenery is always good.
TSM Will Have to Work Hard
Simply switching members of the team is oftentimes not enough in Valorant. If you’re lucky and the synergy is immediately there, then it can work. But like everything else, to build a top Valorant team, hard work is required.
TSM is taking this in the right direction by relocating to Austin,TX. Additionally, they also intend to compete in every other possible tournament before the next Valorant Champions Tour event.
“As soon as the team is in Austin we will be participating in every open event possible until the next VCT.”
With this mentality, TSM might have a shot at digging themselves out of the hole they buried themselves in. If they carefully select their team members and dedicate their time to proper practice and competing in other Valorant tournaments, they could come out stronger.
Missing VCT Challengers 1 must have hurt them, but this could have also been a blessing in disguise to help them form a stronger squad for Challengers 2. We will see if this ends up being the case, but for now, we’re remaining hopeful.
