Thunder Launches Valorant Esports Roster
Team Norse Thunder has announced the launch of its first Valorant esports program and has put out an open call for new players to come and join the organisation.
Valorant - a 5v5 tactical first-person shooter from Riot Games - has exploded in popularity since its release and the game marks the first step into the world of FPS titles for Thunder. To lead the new program Jack Wightman has been brought in. The former competitive Counterstrike turned Valorant player is ranked within the top 500 players in the region and has regularly played against pro players from some of the biggest names in esports.
For the newly created roster, players who are ranked Immortal 1 or above, have no previous Riot Account penalisations, are dedicated to practising, playing scrims and competing, and who can communicate in English are all eligible to apply to get involved.
Custom 5v5 tryout sessions will be taking place on September 17th and 18th and will run from midday onwards (UK time). To sign up for a spot in the tryout sessions, you should contact the team for more information.
Speaking about the launch of the Valorant esports program, the team’s program lead, Jack Wightman, said: “Over the next month, the goal is to finalize a strong competitive roster through a weekend of try-outs to set [Thunder] off branching out into the world of Valorant. The following months will be a period of practising and scrimming with teams of similar experience, for the roster to really familiarize themselves and bolster communication and theory craft.
“As we look into the future of our Valorant squad, any small cups and tournaments that are in the EMEA region we’ll look to sign up for, as first-hand experience with tournament rules will be key to the success of the team, alongside expanding Thunder’s presence in the Valorant community. I’m looking forward to coaching and guiding these players along this journey, and it’s an exciting road ahead!”
Meanwhile, Team Norse Thunder’s owner, Dave Scotford said: “We’re excited about this and it’s a massive step for the organisation. Valorant has been a game that has long been on our radar and it’s a huge title for us to get involved in. It’s a case of going step by step with things as we build up to putting everything we need in place, but we’ve got some exciting plans… we can’t wait to see where this leads us!”