North American and South Korean esports organization T1 are set to sign Zander “Thwifo” Kim to its VALORANT team, multiple sources told Upcomer on Friday. Thwifo is a former Fortnite player and currently an inactive member of XSET’s VALORANT roster.
T1 close in on Thwifo signing
The contract negotiations are in the final stages, multiple sources with knowledge of the situation told Upcomer. The deal could fall through, but this remains unlikely, with both parties likely in agreement for the transfer.
T1 are testing several changes to its VALORANT roster, as Upcomer reported on Sept. 7. Former T1 academy player Anthony “dawn” Hagopian would likely move to the inactive roster while Thwifo will take the Sentinel role on the team.
The team may remove Braxton “Brax” Pierce and Tyler “Ska” Latham from the main roster, as well. South Korean player Ha “Spyder” Jeong-woo could be brought back into the roster following his return to Los Angeles earlier this week.
Thwifo has most recently played with Andbox, but he did not join the organization on a permanent basis. His deal with the organization was a loan with the option to buy at the conclusion of his loan duration. Andbox did not renew the loan nor buy Thwifo out of his contract, hence the removal.
T1 was one of the few top North American teams that failed to qualify for the Last Chance Qualifier. The organization is looking to silently rebuild for the new season, which will begin next year following the conclusion of VCT Champions in December.
Thwifo previously played for XSET prior to his benching in July. He was the captain of the original roster when he joined the organization in July last year. XSET made some significant roster moves with Zachary “zekken” Patrone and in-game leader Rory “dephh” Jackson joining the team in June.
XSET will compete in the Last Chance Qualifier, which begins Oct. 12.
