Wardell Joins Version1 as Stand-In for Wippie
Published: Apr 27, 2022
Matthew “Wardell” Yu has joined Version1 as a temporary stand-in for Maxim “wippie” Shepelev who’s currently having some visa related issues.
Wardell is expected to debut on April 30th in the VCT NA Stage 2 Open Qualifier, where Version1 will begin playing in the Top 32 bracket. The deal with Wardell is temporary and Version1 expects Wippie to rejoin the roster soon.
Wardell is Back in Action
Matthew “Wardell” Yu is a Canadian professional Valorant player who’s been a part of TSM’s Valorant roster for almost two years. He’s one of the best Valorant players in the North American region who’s known for his Jett carries, but has been switching to Chamber with great success.
Wardell left TSM on March 23rd, transitioning to a free agent in hopes of finding a suitable team to continue competing in the Valorant Champions Tour.
TSM had been one of the strongest teams in the early days of Valorant esports, but they’ve fallen off greatly since then. They have failed to achieve any significant goals in the recent months, so it’s no wonder Wardell made the decision to leave, although with a heavy heart.
He’ll finally get the chance to show what he’s made of in Version1. Although this is a temporary deal, we know full well how these temporary stand-in deals often tend to change into something more permanent. Just look at the case with TenZ and Sentinels. If Version1 and Wardell click and find that synergy, there’s a good chance Version1 will decide to keep him and add a fourth Canadian to their roster.
What Will Happen?
We know that Wippie is expected to return to the roster, but we’re not sure when that’s going to happen. Since he’s traveling from Russia, there could be more potential problems down the line. Worst case scenario is that he completely misses the VCT NA Stage 2 Open Qualifiers.
At the same time, this brief period is perhaps a chance of a lifetime for Wardell. He has been hungry for competitive Valorant and couldn’t really sate that hunger in TSM. It’s very likely he’ll come out guns blazing in his debut match and really shock the Version1 fans who are already beyond hyped.
We already know he’s an excellent Valorant player, but this will be the first time we’ll see him play for someone other than TSM. This will be a test to see how well he’ll adapt to this new environment and how he’ll fit in this roster. If he ends up being an absolute carry monster like we expect him to be, Version1 will definitely be tempted to keep him for good.
Version1 will play their first match in the VCT NA Stage 2 Open Qualifier on Saturday at 12:00 AM CEST, so make sure to tune in and watch the team live.
