OpTic Gaming to trial Jovi as an assistant coach

Former 100 Thieves VALORANT coach Jovanni “Jovi” Vera is set to trial with OpTic Gaming for VCT Masters, he announced today.

Jovi will assist the OpTic team remotely while the main roster and head coach Chet Singh travel to Reykjavík, Iceland. VCT Masters, the first international VALORANT event of the year, is set to begin on April 10 and conclude on April 24. 

OpTic Gaming has been placed into Group B alongside XERXIA Esports, KRÜ Esports, and Team Liquid, Riot Games revealed today. 

The winner of Group B will qualify for the Playoff stage, with four teams directly invited. The Guard, Paper Rex, and LOUD earned automatic qualification for the Playoff stage following their victory in their respective region’s Stage One Challengers. G2 qualified but they have replaced FunPlus Phoenix, who won the VCT EMEA Stage One Challengers.

OpTic Gaming are the runners-up of the North American Stage One Challengers, which concluded on March 27. OpTic were defeated by The Guard in the grand final 3-2, but both teams secured qualification regardless of the final result. 

Jovi’s former team, 100 Thieves, bowed out of Stage One Challengers in the group stage. 100 Thieves finished in fifth place in Group A, just above Evil Geniuses. They finished the season with one victory and four losses. 

Jovi was later released by 100 Thieves alongside analyst David “Rocket” Spencer on March 22 and replaced by Sean “seangares” Gares and Michael “Mikes” Hockom as the head and assistant coach respectively. 

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