Saadhak enters free agency, could shake up VALORANT esports with LOUD decision

After a roller coaster of a season, one of the best VALORANT in-game leaders in VCT Americas is officially on the offseason market.

Matias “Saadhak” Delipetro has confirmed that his contract with LOUD has expired, making him one of the biggest free agents in the space for 2024. He is currently working through his options for the new year, including new offers from other teams—but he is also talking with LOUD for a possible contract extension.

His decision could be one of the biggest in VCT Americas, since he has been one of the most consistent IGLs in the region. His contributions as a veteran leader have been one of the big reasons why LOUD has been so successful, especially with young stars like Cauan “cauanzin” Pereira and Arthur “tuyz” Vieira.

This season, the Brazilian supersquad maintained its position atop the VALORANT world, even though they were reportedly dealing with multiple issues behind the scenes in the second half of the season. They won VCT Americas in relatively dominant fashion, and even finished as a top-three squad at two international events, with a second place finish at the 2023 LOCK//IN LAN and a third place finish at Champions 2023.

They did, however, struggle at Masters Tokyo, which was right in the middle of the supposed internal struggles between the roster and superstar duelist, Erick “aspas” Santos. In July, reports suggested that the working relationship between the star player and the team was “fractured completely,” and that the 20-year-old phenom would not play for LOUD in the following year.

Aspas eventually confirmed that he was a free agent on Sept. 11, stating that he was open to any offers. If both players leave LOUD this offseason, it would mark a significant rebuild for an org that has remained a top challenger in the global VALORANT scene for the last two years.

With both their superstar X-factor and trusty in-game leader gone, LOUD would have to build a new core around its remaining young stars as they attempt to carry on the winning ways of the past into the future.