The David Beckham-backed Esports team, Guild Esports, has announced their official voyage into professional Valorant with the signing of Swedish roster Bonk.
It marks the entry of the London-based esports organization into a third esport, after FIFA and Rocket League.
Bonk acquisition
The official line-up consists of Yacine “Yacine” Laghmari, Malkolm “bonkar” Rench, Leo “Leo” Janneson, Filip “Goffe” Gauffin ‘Goffe’ and former CS:GO pro William “draken” Sundin.
For curious fans who are wondering what made the org consider the line-up, Guild said that they were chosen following a “rigorous selection process.”
Surely, the roster consists of sought-after players in the competitive FPS scene which included some Valorant pros who first made a name for themselves playing professional Counter-Strike Global Offensive.
Guild Esports confirmed the news in an official announcement tweet.
“THE HUNT BEGINS
Welcome to Guild, our Swedish vikings ⚔️ @DrakenCSGO @YACINELAGHMARI @Officialbonkar @Leojannesson @Goffeval
#WeAreGuild
@PlayValorant”
The line-up is considerably one of the best performing teams in the Europe region, although unsigned, they still managed to land the top two spot In the Ignition Series’ LVL Clash 2 and Mandatory.gg
Yacine expressed his excitement after signing with Guild Esports:
“Guild is an organisation with big ambition that is on a path to achieve great things and I’m proud to be a part of that. I’ve always been an ambitious player and want to create a legacy that will last. Our team has already proved itself at a top level and now the goal is to become world champions.”
The roster’s first ever inaugural competition under Guild Esports will be during the Riot-run First Strike tournament, set to begin in November.
High hopes
The acquisition of the competitive roster proves Guild Esports’ competitive ambitions. Moreover, the announcement silenced those who are questioning football star David Beckham’s role in the group and their floatation on the London Stock Exchange following the raising of over £20 Million.
The org also recently declared a mysterious £3.6 million sponsorship deal, before officially confirming their forage into the Valorant competitive scene on October 21 with the new European roster.
Having five new full-time salaried players is a significant cost to keep, not to mention the amounts they also have to pay to keep their pro Rocket League and FIFA players signed. It only shows the group’s commitment to esports.
Carleton Curtis, Executive Chairman at Guild, said in a press release:
“Joining the Valorant community is a perfect step for Guild and we are delighted to expand into the new exciting and emerging esports space.”
“Valorant is destined to become a major esport with global reach and deep fan bases, and it benefits from the prestige of being developed by best-in-class publisher Riot Games.”
The roster has been competing together prior to their signing with Guild. In fact, the Swedish team have already proven that they can attain success in the EU circuit, with top two placements in the recent Ignition series and Mandatory Cup tournaments.
