EG & NRG VALORANT Head Coaches butt heads following VCT series
The competitive VALORANT scene has been witnessing heightened tension and high-stakes gameplay between two of its premier teams, NRG and Evil Geniuses (EG) in the VCT. Over the past week, the teams have faced each other twice, with NRG emerging victorious in the first series and EG retaliating with a win in the knockout stages.
The rivalry, however, extends beyond the matches, with a brewing controversy involving accusations of scrim footage leaks by their respective head coaches, adding an additional layer of intensity to the proceedings.
The controversy
The off-field dispute involves NRG's head coach, Chet Singh, and EG's head coach, Christine "Potter" Chi, each accusing the other of impropriety. The primary point of contention revolves around allegations of leaking scrim footage, a serious charge in a strategy-intensive game like VALORANT, where such leaks could provide teams with an unfair competitive advantage.
Singh accused Chi of suggesting that he was responsible for the leak, an accusation that Chi refuted, stating, "Multiple teams, players, and staff told us you were leaking. I had nothing to do with it."
Singh defended his reputation, responding, "I never needed to cheat once in my career, y’all accuse me and talk behind my back."
Neither claim has been substantiated at this point, so it’s word against word. It is unlikely evidence for either claim will make it to the public.
Despite these serious allegations, players also had fun shit-talking their opposition.MVP of the series Max "Demon1" Mazanov took shots at NRG on Twitter after a stellar performance in the playoff match.
The match delivered
In parallel with the escalating controversy, the teams exhibited formidable performances on the field. The first series saw NRG taking a 2-0 win, but EG exhibited their resilience in the knockout stages, battling their way to a closely fought 2-1 victory.
The series was marked by a standout moment on Split, where NRG's Kelden "Boostio" Pupello and Demon1 found themselves in a 2v4 scenario with a 14-13 score. Their clutch play forced the match into overtime, keeping alive the possibility of a reverse sweep.
As the esports community anticipates further matches amidst this heated rivalry and ongoing controversy, the unfolding events between NRG and EG continue to command attention.