The recent addition of Noah ‘Vivid’ Wright to Team Liquid’s pro Fortnite team has led to some necessary roster realignment for the organization.
Vivid has been placed directly in the main squad, joining players 72hrs, Poach, and Chap, with Strafesh0t having now been relegated to a different role within the team.
In a video released on August 30, co-CEO and co-owner Steve Arhancet explained the thought process that went behind making this decision.
“A lot of the community sentiment so far has been like ‘oh he’s benched, he’s not on the team.’ I just want to clear that up. We approached Strafesh0t and said ‘hey look, if there are squad events […] then we’re going to go with the most competitive roster that we can and that may not include you.'”
However, Arhancet did emphasize that Strafesh0t was still very much part of the overall scheme of things, even if he wasn’t on the main squad, although the door is always open for him to pursue better opportunities should he receive offers from other orgs.
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates on Esports, Gaming and more.
“‘But, if you want to continue being part of Team Liquid as an organization, we’re here to support you man. We made an agreement on a contract that if you’re putting in everything that you can and we’re going to be here for you.’ He will continue with Team Liquid, he has the opportunity to go chase other offers and other teams. […] W’re going to stay fluid, so like what events may come in the future and he’s also interested in maybe going into a coaching role.”
Regardless of how the roster gets aligned moving forward, few can deny that the addition of Vivid has strengthened the squad considerably.
The players have already proven they can find success with their new teammate as several of them have teamed with him and placed well in past Summer Skirmish tournaments.