TSM’s VALORANT lineup will no longer include Matthew “Wardell” Yu, the organization announced today. The team is preparing to relocate to Texas, where they will practice and compete together, and the 23-year-old has refused to relocate.
“VALORANT is extremely important to TSM,” according to the organization. “We’ve been a part of it since the beginning, and we’re determined to put together a championship-caliber roster.” This requires all players’ commitment, alignment with a competitive vision, and a desire to work together to take the team to the next level.”
Wardell had been a member of TSM’s roster since the North American organization’s debut on the professional VALORANT scene in May 2020. During his time with the team, he was consistently one of the best players on the roster, helping them win tournaments like the North America VCT Stage Three Challengers Two in August 2021, the T1 x Nerd Street Gamers Showdown in June 2020, and the FaZe Clan Invitational in August 2020.
“Thanks for pulling me out of the gutter and giving me a brand new life, I won’t forget that,” Wardell wrote on Twitter, possibly referring to his switch from CS:GO to VALORANT in 2020. At this time, it’s unclear whether he’s a free agent or if he’s still under contract with TSM.
TSM’s VALORANT lineup has been reduced to Yassine “Subroza” Taoufik, Aleko Gabuniya, Corey Nigra, and Daniel “Rossy” Abedrabbo since Wardell’s departure.