Ethan moving into new function as NRG's in-game chief – Nerd Road Players

by Brian Bencomo
SANTA MONICA, Calif. — NRG’s VALORANT workforce obtained off to a robust begin of their opening match on the VCT Americas Kickoff event. NRG beat FURIA 2-0 on Friday to maneuver ahead into the winner’s match in Group A.
The match additionally was a robust debut for Ethan “Ethan” Arnold, who joined the workforce within the offseason after successful VALORANT Champions with Evil Geniuses. He had a team-high 37 kills, 23 assists, 13 extra kills than deaths and an general Ok/D/A scoreline of 37/24/23. Oh, and he was making his debut as in-game chief too.
Learn extra: VCT Americas Kickoff 2024: Schedule, format, teams and storylines
“Occurring IGL for the primary time, all of them need to get used to me as an IGL and I’ve to get used to all of them. So it's not prefer it's undoubtedly not a straightforward factor,” Ethan mentioned after the match. “I believe we confirmed promise immediately. I believe we confirmed form of like what we are able to play like, everybody's enjoying very well, and it's nonetheless shut. So it's not likely like we're content material with immediately's outcome, regardless that it's a 2-0, there have been numerous rounds that weren’t excellent, in our opinion. So undoubtedly numerous stuff to scrub up.”
Ethan has some massive sneakers to fill, as he’s taking on the function that Pujan “FNS” Mehta had final yr with NRG. The veteran FNS has been calling the pictures for the core on this NRG workforce alongside Austin “crashies” Roberts and Victor “Victor” Wong with OpTic in 2022 and together with Jimmy “Marved” Nguyen when the 4 performed along with Envy in 2021.
Ethan mentioned that veteran core has made his transition to the IGL function simpler.
Ethan, proper, credit crashies, left, and the remainder of the veterans on the workforce for making it a straightforward transition for him. Picture credit score: Colin Younger-Wolff / Riot Video games
“I've at all times watched the OpTic core, you recognize, I performed towards them a bunch, and them being like the highest workforce for some time, each on Envy, OpTic, NRG these two and three gamers with crashies, Vic and Marved. Since their the highest groups, you at all times watch them proper? We at all times attempt to study from them,” he mentioned.
“So makes it straightforward for me each as a person participant however as an IGL,” he continued. “It was undoubtedly useful that they, you recognize, they’re seasoned, proper? They’ve performed for a extremely very long time, in order that they're straightforward to work with.”
Ethan knew that he can be taking on the IGL function when he first began speaking to NRG. It’s a brand new function that the 23-year-old has embraced after a seven-year professional profession together with his days enjoying Counter-Strike.
Learn extra: VCT Americas debut finally near for G2, former Guard players
“That is undoubtedly an excellent level in my profession for me to do it,” he mentioned. “Having simply gained [Champions], I performed with simply numerous variety of IGLs in my profession each in CS and in VALORANT, so I discovered so much from numerous actually good ones too.”
He named FNS in addition to Damian "daps" Steele, James "hazed" Cobb, Nicholas "nitr0" Cannella and Kelden "Boostio" Pupello as IGLs he has performed with whom he has discovered so much from.
“Boostio only recently had a distinct thoughts for the sport,” Ethan mentioned about his IGL with Evil Geniuses. “That was actually new to me, in order that form of it's actually good for me. I obtained numerous totally different kinds; I’ve the very generic Counter-Strike IGL pondering that's excellent for some issues, after which I performed with hazed in VALORANT, Boostio in VALORANT, Nitro in VALORANT … I've obtained numerous slices of the pie that I've form of been in a position to digest and, and form of work in my very own playstyle.”
Ethan is now calling the pictures for a loaded NRG. Picture credit score: Colin Younger-Wolff / Riot Video games
Not solely is Ethan filling FNS’s massive sneakers, he’s stepping right into a scenario the place NRG has been labeled the “superteam” of VCT Americas, so there are lofty expectations for this workforce. It’s a stark distinction to the scenario he was in at the beginning of final yr with Evil Geniuses.
“It's a whole 180 from final yr as a result of we had been thought-about in all probability like probably the most underdog or underdog workforce of the entire season,” he mentioned.
Evil Geniuses had been a giant Cinderella story final yr as they rose from the underside of all people’s energy rankings to succeed in the VCT Americas playoffs, qualify for Masters Tokyo and Champions and finally win Champions.
One of many key substances to their rise was the addition of Max “Demon1” Mazanov, who additionally joined NRG within the offseason. The 2 joined NRG collectively after it turned clear Evil Geniuses’ monetary difficulties meant the world championship gamers can be taking a look at pay cuts in the event that they stayed with the group.
“As quickly as we heard the information, I reached out to NRG,” he mentioned. “I advised them, you recognize, me and Demon1 wanna be a part of you guys, and so they immediately took that and form of ran with it and tried to get all of the work accomplished for that.”
Ethan, left, and Demon1, proper, each got here to NRG as world champions. Picture credit score: Colin Younger-Wolff / Riot Video games
The transfer didn’t occur straight away although, as EG infamously stored their gamers in so-called “contract jail,” and made any transfer off the workforce tough. The truth is, in an alternate timeline, it’s potential Ethan may have gone to 100 Thieves. He’s shut with former EG assistant coach Tony “Zikz” Grey, who turned 100 Thieves’ head coach within the offseason.
“I believe that if NRG didn't work out, I believe 100 Thieves would have been an choice for me,” he mentioned. “With him because the coach, he form of let me know that he knew I used to be going for the NRG spot, but when issues didn't work out, we'd like to have you ever.”
Learn extra: Zikz bringing unique perspective, championship experience to 100 Thieves
Finally although, NRG was in a position to strike a deal to amass Ethan and Demon1, and introduced the 2 gamers a pair days earlier than Christmas.
They joined crashies and Victor, who’re holdovers from final yr’s NRG workforce, and Marved who additionally joined NRG within the offseason. Crashies, Victor and Marved all gained Masters Reykjavík 2022 with OpTic and completed second at Masters Berlin 2021 with Envy and Champions 2022 with OpTic.
While you put that OpTic championship trio along with the EG championship duo, it’s no surprise there are excessive expectations for this workforce.
Marved, left, can also be rejoining the championship core of crashies and Victor. Picture credit score: Colin Younger-Wolff / Riot Video games
With a win over FURIA to start out VCT Americas Kickoff, NRG will face Cloud9 subsequent within the Group A winner’s match. With Cloud9 not but enjoying throughout our postgame dialog, Ethan was desperate to see how the new-look C9 roster would play.
“I believe C9, each their playstyle, their gamers and their comps are possibly slightly extra up within the air,” he mentioned. “We are able to already see them enjoying a number of totally different comps each from the Ludwig event they performed in they form of performed some bizarre comps, so we'll see.”
In some unspecified time in the future, Ethan will face off towards his former workforce, and that’s a matchup he’s wanting ahead to.
“We scrimmed them a bit, and I believe they'll be good,” he mentioned. “I believe [jawgemo] will at all times be excellent at what he does, and I believe the remainder of the gamers are fairly good at supporting that form of participant, and I believe they give the impression of being fairly cohesive proper now, So that they'll be enjoyable to play.”
Learn extra: Potter will try to overcome the odds with Evil Geniuses, again
Regardless of being the superteam of the league, Ethan isn’t taking any workforce with no consideration. Coming from EG final yr, he is aware of higher than most, that you may’t take any workforce within the league flippantly.
“Each recreation is hard in our eyes,” he mentioned. “So regardless that we're form of rated as the highest workforce, we form of play to respect all people. So no recreation — I don't suppose any recreation shall be straightforward.”
We’ll see whether or not it’s the favourite or the underdog who wins Group A when NRG face Cloud9 on Friday at 2 p.m. PT.
Lead picture credit score: Colin Younger-Wolff / Riot Video games
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