XQc wants to buy The Guard’s VCT spot, despite ‘ghosting’ another VALORANT team this year

XQc is interested in signing The Guard’s former VALORANT team and consequently joining the VCT in 2024, he revealed to his fans in a recent livestream.

Jacob “valyn” Batio, Ian “tex” Botsch, Michael “neT” Bernet, Jonah “JonahP” Pulice, and Trent Cairns —the pros who played for The Guard—won the 2023 VCT Americas Ascension tournament in June and therefore earned the right to play in the 2024 VCT Americas League next year.

Riot, though, didn’t accept The Guard as a partner to join the league and, at first, was reluctant to allow the players to find a new organization to play in VCT. But Riot eventually reversed course after community backlash. The players were released from The Guard on Sept. 1, which means they’re up for grabs if xQc wants to sign them.

Though xQc is interested in the former The Guard players, he recognized it’ll be expensive to run the team.

If xQc reaches a deal with the players, the deal would still have to be approved by Riot for his “org” to compete in the 2024 VCT season. But considering how much unregulated gambling content xQc promotes on his livestreams, there’s a chance Riot might choose to not associate its brand with his.

Related: VALORANT 2023 roster changes: All VCT 2024 roster moves and rumors

This isn’t the first time xQc has expressed plans to join VALORANT’s professional scene, either. Earlier this year, the Canadian star was in advanced talks with organization-less North American squad Turtle Troop in April but reportedly backed out of the deal “at the last second” and “ghosted” the players.

It’s unlikely that xQc will get to sign the players as rumors suggest G2 and FlyQuest—two established organizations that are already in Riot’s League of Legends ecosystem—are interested in poaching the players, as well as Disguised Toast.