VCT 2022 competition is underway, but that didn't stop the rest of the world from creating new headlines. Here's what you might have missed from this past week.

This week's edition covers news from January 15 - January 21.

• Read more: News Almost Missed January 14

Roster Changes

• Former Complexity Complexity Inactive RetrQ Alex Kadan trial Governor Peter No truo Robert Pham jcrueL Joel Cruel agM Michael Abood player Riley "ohai" Nguyen has joined BASILISK BASILISK Inactive royal Matthew Buick Jangler Dwaine Kirkpatrick as their new in-game leader.
• Trent "trent" Cairns, formerly known as Habib, has joined The Guard The Guard Inactive JonahP Jonah Pulice trent Trent Cairns neT Michael Bernet valyn Jacob Batio tex Ian Botsch to replace Harrison "psalm" Chang in the team's active lineup.
• Anja "aNNja" Vasalic has revealed that their contract with G2 Gozen G2 Gozen Europe Unranked rezq Eda Naz Akçocuk amy Amy Lai Vania Aleyna Keskin Petra Petra Stoker mimi Michaela Lintrup has come to a close.
• / Case Esports Case Esports Inactive have parted ways with Mario "PoPiFresH" González and analyst Ivaylo "Linepro" Krasimirov Kolev.
• Alliance have signed ChatBanned ChatBanned Inactive Xaline Laure Mateos Pinkalie Julie Lim Danah Dana Al-Madhoun h6tedthemost Lada Kozhemyakina jademwah Jade Duffy , the highest ranked unsigned Game Changers team prior to this announcement. The team will compete under the name Alliance Coven.
• / One Breath Gaming One Breath Gaming Inactive minse Vladislav Kuzminykh zeddy Nikolai Lapko is down to just two members following the departures of Denis "hugeon" Vasiliev, Stanislav "Sp1ke" Koshel, and Nikita "Coffee" Antsypirovich.
• Emre "sterben" Demirci has joined Fire Flux Esports Fire Flux Esports Europe Rank #16 .
• FUT Female FUT Female Inactive Lyda İlayda Güzeldere rezq Eda Naz Akçocuk have said goodbye to Siana "sia" Yoldez Matri and added Lea "matrix" Ransquin, Cornelia "Neli" Johansson, and coach Hazım Orhun "casteLL0" Dalbeyler.
• Aslıhan "proxima" Uslu has joined Papara SuperMassive Female Papara SuperMassive Female Inactive Julis Açelya Özgen schnellÆ Ayşe Ergül from Oxxgen Esports Oxxgen Esports Inactive Gia Süreyya Bayel rainssa Yağmur Şahin Ritha Zeynep Sualp ness Neslişah Demir .
• Before Before Inactive have added Luiz "Yushi" Felipe Coelho and Anderson "faithz0r" Yabusaki to their coaching staff as strategic coach and head coach respectively.
• Stars Horizon Stars Horizon Inactive flainzz Felipe Saldanha pollo Julio Silva have unveiled their new roster for VCT 2022.
• / KRÜ Esports have revealed their female team, KRÜ BLAZE KRÜ BLAZE Latin America South Unranked dods Caue Fernandes conir Constanza Reyes romily Romina Alvarez micaela Micaela Ferreyra biazik Beatriz Begnossi .
• Park "exy" Geun-cheol (박근철), formerly of TNL Esports TNL Esports Inactive TS Yu Tae-seok (유태석) exy Park Geun-cheol (박근철) Jinboong Kim Jin-won (김진원) Meteor Kim Tae-O (김태오) , has become DAMWON Gaming DAMWON Gaming Inactive Lakia Kim Jong-min (김종민) allow Park Sang-wook (박상욱) exy Park Geun-cheol (박근철) Estrella Park Gun (박건) Esperanza Jeong Jin-cheol (정진철) 's seventh player.
• Inactive have welcomed back Hideki "Fisker" Sasaki and Daiki "Minty" Kato to their roster. The two played together on FAV from late 2020 until they were signed to Crazy Raccoon in June 2021.
• FULL SENSE FULL SENSE Asia-Pacific Rank #5 JohnOlsen Chanawin Nakchain Leviathan Thanyathon Nakmee aLerT Wattanachok Yingnakorn Potter Sutthichai Promsrikaew Sushiboys Panyawat Subsiriroj have revealed their roster for 2022. The team's new additions include Thanaphat "THEELOVEFAMILY" Limpaphan, head coach Thotsaphon "cbbk" Suphatthanaphalaphon, and coach Kachaporn "ZOCHA" Taveesin
• After releasing their previous squad in April 2021, Made in Thailand Made in Thailand Asia-Pacific Rank #1 Kadoom Kantapong Kingthong Killua Tanate Teerasawad cgrs Patiphan Porsi Laz Kittikawin Jirawatkakan seph1roth Chinnakrit Phoojaroen are back with a new roster.
• / Ashraf "acApp" Firdaus and Patrik "Kolenaw" Sarin have joined Nigma Galaxy Nigma Galaxy Inactive Yohann Ronard Tecson Karl Carlo Ocampo as coach and analyst respectively.
• BLEED BLEED Asia-Pacific Rank #21 announced the departure of Tyler "Juicy" James Aeria following the expiration of his contract with the team.
• / Fahad "Near" Salem has joined YaLLa Esports YaLLa Esports Inactive ShawateRR Mohammad Yousef Near Fahad Salem Kitkat Mohamed Alnuaimi B4HA Baha Mohamad Oqap ISSAA Issa Murad VIPP33R Omar Adwan in place of "Toon" .

Results

• The Guard The Guard Inactive JonahP Jonah Pulice trent Trent Cairns neT Michael Bernet valyn Jacob Batio tex Ian Botsch took first place in the NSG Winter Championship Open 14 by defeating Third Impact Third Impact Inactive syfi Samir Karimov nerve Michael Yerrow Morgausse Austin Etue eVoL Colin Wentworth ZerG Haydin Gordon in the grand finals.
• In Game Changers LATAM, Skull Cracker Quartz Skull Cracker Quartz Inactive Lied Andrehs Rage Eliana Avila defeated FiRePOWER FiRePOWER Latin America South Rank #9 frantastic Francisca Valenzuela azul Flossie Lendary in the grand finals of the LATAM North bracket.
• The Oceania Tour Stage 1 open qualifier concluded with HONEY BADGERS HONEY BADGERS Inactive Noobster xue Jesse Tang MirzAA Kiyan M-Basari JELLYD Angelo Diaz Maple Elvin Sun defeating Crima's Disciples Crima's Disciples Inactive Marsh William Marshall Pocket Joshua Haworth MaiShiu Matthew Wu Myth Matthew Tarnawskyj Klockzy Lachlan Burke in the grand finals. The aforementioned teams alongside MEOW MEOW MEOW MEOW Inactive norsin Norsin Yawanis ninim John Slayo ANDY clutchyy Corbyn De Klerk junglew0w Ty O'Donnell Rackem PAIN , Bonkers Bonkers Inactive Minimise Jackson White tixx Nick Quinn Maple Elvin Sun Dragon Nicholas Aleksandrovsky LEW Luis Hibbert , Iconic Iconic Inactive Cliqahh punda Lachlan Bamford pan1K Tyson Missak xsus Raymond Wang ESUH TOUT , and Funcrew Funcrew Oceania Rank #16 skrawl Justin Lanzon YAKUZA Yifang Yifang Chen MirzAA Kiyan M-Basari have earned invites to the group stage, which will begin January 27.

Matches to Watch

• The Knights VALORAMPAGE playoffs are underway. The round of 16 and round of eight will take place today, January 21, with the semifinals and grand finals taking place on the following days.
• In the closed qualifiers of Stage 1 Challengers 2 Turkey, FUT Esports FUT Esports Europe Rank #7 xeus Doğan Gözgen MrFaliN Furkan Yeğen yetujey Eray Budak AtaKaptan Ata Tan cNed Mehmet Yağız İpek qRaxs Doğukan Balaban has advanced to the grand finals off of a win against Fire Flux Esports Fire Flux Esports Europe Rank #16 . Fire Flux will await the winner of BBL Esports BBL Esports Europe Rank #42 Jamppi Elias Olkkonen sociablEE Volkan Yonal chiwa Egor Stepanyuk PROFEK Dawid Święć LewN Burak Alkan and Surreal Esports Surreal Esports Inactive Rosé Eren Erzan VenTT Emre Bozkurt vittoria macRue Arda Yıldız Crewen Ali Eren Sargin in the lower bracket.
• Four teams remain in the FPSThailand Valorant Tournament: FULL SENSE FULL SENSE Asia-Pacific Rank #5 JohnOlsen Chanawin Nakchain Leviathan Thanyathon Nakmee aLerT Wattanachok Yingnakorn Potter Sutthichai Promsrikaew Sushiboys Panyawat Subsiriroj , XERXIA Esports XERXIA Esports Asia-Pacific Rank #30 b3ta Puwadon Jaisuekul Siraww Siraphop Honghirun bnwgiggs , 47 Gaming 47 Gaming Inactive วอนยอง Typing slash socools0da Natdanai Chaibun Siraww Siraphop Honghirun , and Sharper Esport Sharper Esport Asia-Pacific Rank #44 niffy Patcharapon Junman Kntz Krit Chaiprasit LBY Eisuke Kuraoka qq Phoomphat Phodjanat Siraww Siraphop Honghirun .
• FULL SENSE FULL SENSE Asia-Pacific Rank #5 JohnOlsen Chanawin Nakchain Leviathan Thanyathon Nakmee aLerT Wattanachok Yingnakorn Potter Sutthichai Promsrikaew Sushiboys Panyawat Subsiriroj , Nigma Galaxy Nigma Galaxy Inactive Yohann Ronard Tecson Karl Carlo Ocampo , Kingsmen Kingsmen Inactive 1van Kok Mun Hong Justa Ooi Zhen Loong , and Action PH Action PH Inactive SyKo Daddie Shunmar Bellita eugeneS Eugene Serrano Narpim Clark Karoll Landrito SecondLove Sovano Alvin Daniel L. Oronce Worship Ian Ga are the four teams left standing in the Zotac Cup Valorant playoffs. The next matches will be played on Tuesday, January 25.

Other News

• A January 17 report from Dot Esports has revealed that Rise Rise Inactive is in talks with an unnamed organization to sell its Valorant roster. FaZe Clan were reportedly interested in offering half a million dollars for all current Rise members, minus Ryan "Shanks" Ngo.
• According to a January 15 report from Dot Esports, SoaR SoaR Inactive epathy Ngawang Chonjor fiziq Lucas Blow v1c Victor Truong Trill Ashley Powell have signed Brenden "stellar" McGrath, Lucas "fiziq" Blow, and Ngawang "epathy" Chonjor as the first three members of their new Valorant squad. Ashley "Trill" Powell will be the team's fourth if he is able to resolve his visa issues.
• According to Dexerto, Tundra Esports are set to sign the roster of YONK YONK Inactive M4CHINA Ouali Manset bonkar Malkolm Rench krea6on Vilius Malinauskas Nille Nichlas Busk Yacine Yacine Laghmari .