Shawn Leaves Gen.G Esports

The popular North American professional Valorant player, Shawn “Shawn” O’Riley, has announced his departure from Gen.G Esports. He’s been with the team since the early days of First Strike North America and has now decided to leave the organisation to look for greener pastures.

This is the second player to leave Gen.G in the same month. We first saw Bryce “PureR” Lovell leave on June 6th after Gen.G’s unsuccessful attempt to qualify for the second VCT Challengers stage.

Gen.G Esports is now left with an incomplete roster and two free slots, which will put their Valorant esports trajectory on a temporary hold. At the same time, this could be the perfect opportunity for them to sign some big names floating around the free agent market.

Shawn Looking for a New Home

Shawn not being in Gen.G will definitely be something many Valorant fans will have to get used to. He has been with the organisation for almost two years, through thick and thin, so the decision to leave must have been a difficult one. Still, this could prove to be a wise move in the long run.

Shawn has always been highly motivated and determined to grow and improve as a Valorant player. The time spent in Gen.G must’ve been invaluable, but it’s time to move on. Gen.G can best be described as a middle-of-a-pack team, albeit with great potential. But there are far stronger teams out there right now. Shawn’s hope is probably to land a spot in one of those teams and truly put his skills to the test.

He has left a message on Twitter, explaining his decision to step back:

It was a tough decision, but I decided to step back from the roster. I learned a lot from my teammates and coaching staff. I wish them the best going forward. I’m looking for a new home where I can continue to improve.

Shawn is one of the best Valorant players in North America so we expect him to find a new home soon. He has a wealth of experience and plays some key Agents in the current Valorant meta, so he’d be a great addition to any competitive team.

What Will Happen With Gen.G?

Gen.G is not competing in Valorant Champions Tour right now, so Shawn’s departure won’t really impact them too much. They missed both Challengers and the first VCT Masters event, which caused them to fall behind everyone else in the region. Currently, they’re not even on the official Circuit Point Standings, so their chances of entering any further VCT events this year are slim to none.

So what’s left for Gen.G in Valorant? Well, there’s always plenty of lower tier tournaments where Gen.G can stay in shape and continue practicing. They have all the time in the world to figure things out and decide what their next move will be.

They have a great roster consisting of Nicholas “NaturE” Garrison, Emir “rhyme” Muminovic and Noah “jcStani” Smith. The trio already works like a well-oiled machine. They just have to find two suitable replacements and they’re all set.

They’re currently competing in the MEL Premiership Valorant esports tournament with Edmon “snirot” Ghanem as the new stand-in, so perhaps he’ll be one of the new players joining the squad.

If you’re interested in following Gen.G’s progress in the tournament, make sure to check out their next match against SoaR on June 24th.