The Spanish esports franchise, co-founded by streamer Ibai Llanos and retired footballer Gerard Piqu��, took to its official Twitter page to announce the completion of its roster with the signing of former Acend player and 2021 world champion.

“Welcome to the team, @starxo5! We can’t wait to see what you bring to the table as the final member of our VALORANT squad. Pending Riot’s approval,” KOI announced.

After a lengthy VALORANT offseason, all 30 partnered teams in the Americas, EMEA, and Pacific leagues have finally filled their starting rosters ahead of the beginning of the VCT partnership era. The roster will make its debut at the VCT 2023: LOCK//IN Sao Paulo tournament, which is scheduled on February 13 and run through to March 4.

It was not surprising when starxo signed with KOI as it had been previously reported that he was expected to join the team. However, he was unable to do so at the same time as the rest of the starting roster due to the status of his Acend contract. Now that his contract has expired and he has exited Acend, his journey with KOI can officially begin.

In mid-December, KOI officially signed all players of its roster aside from starxo, including the former Guild in-game leader Jose “koldamenta” Herrero, 18-years old flex player Nikita “trexx” Cherednichenko, former Gambit Esports player Bogdan “Sheydos”, and Bulgarian Berkant “Wolfen” Joshkun. The team will be coached by Andr�� “BARBARR” M?ller, the former Guild coach.

This move marks the final piece of the puzzle for KOI as they look to establish themselves as a top Valorant team. With a complete roster of talented players and a strong support staff, the team is poised to make a strong showing in the coming months. Valorant fans can expect to see KOI competing in various tournaments and leagues, as they look to prove themselves on the global stage.

During the offseason, several teams including Fnatic, and Team Liquid also strengthened their rosters by recruiting players from the Guild and M3C teams, as KOI is not the only team with players from both top teams. Team Liquid, NAVI, Karmine Corp, and Heretics are also some of the franchises that boast a formidable roster.

When the KOI and EMEA teams start playing in the VCT this year, they will not only be competing against each other. To start the 2023 VCT season, all 30 teams will go to the LOCK//IN event in S?o Paulo and participate in a three-week tournament instead of the usual first split of a VCT season.

Overall, the acquisition of starxo is a major win for KOI, and fans can expect to see great things from the team in the future. His addition to the KOI roster is expected to bring a new level of strategy and flexibility to the team’s playstyle. With a solid roster and a clear vision for success, KOI is well-positioned to make a splash in the Valorant esports scene.

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The franchise announced his departure on its official Twitter page

“Today we bid farewell to @starxo5 after an incredible 2 years adventure on our Valorant roster,” Acend announced.

“We will never forget Patryk’s energy, goofiness and sense of humor on and off the server! Thank you for everything and best of luck in your career starxo!”

Starxo was the last remaining member of Acend’s lineup that won the VALORANT Champions 2021 tournament, which was the first world championship for Riot Games’ first-person shooter game.

On March 2021, Acend welcomed the Polish player to its team, along with Santeri “BONECOLD” Sassi, Mehmet “cNed” Ya??z ?pek, Vladyslav “Kiles” Shvets, Jose “koldamenta” Luis Aranguren Herrero, and head coach Laurynas ��Nbs�� Kisielius. In June 2021, the franchise made a change to its roster by replacing koldamenta with Aleksander “zeek” Zygmunt. This finalized the lineup that would later go on to win the VALORANT Champions tournament in December 2021, defeating Gambit in the process.

The team, including starxo, did not perform as well in 2022. The decision to end the project came after Acend was unable to secure a spot in the EMEA partnership league for 2023. On September 21, starxo left the roster and has been seeking new opportunities since then.

Reacting to his exit from Acend, starxo took to his Twitter page to thank the team for the two years spent.

��First 2 years in my life as a pro player, couldn��t ask for more from Acend and all of the boys, all of the support and memories will stay with me untill the end of my life for sure,�� starxo said.

��I��m really grateful for this opportunity, we built a hell of a history. Time to move on.��

Prior to joining Acend, starxo was a member of THOSE GUYS, where he started his career. He thereafter represented Entropiq and played under the banner of the United Kingdom-based franchise Raise Your Edge Gaming. Raise Your Edge was later disbanded and the core of its roster was acquired by Acend.

The current status of starxo’s future in the world of VALORANT is unknown. However, given his success in winning one of the most prestigious tournaments in the game, it is likely that he has received offers from teams participating in the franchising program. One organization in the EMEA league that has yet to fill its roster for 2023 is KOI.

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