Esports organization T1 has officially announced the termination of their partnerships with VALORANT roster players Kim "Meteor" Tae-o, Byeon "Munchkin" Sang-beom, and Kang "DH" Dong-ho, as well as head coach Kim "KDG" Dong-geon and assistant coach Lee "CheongGak" Il-ho.
Meteor is leaving the team due to the expiration of his contract, although the organization had previously allowed him to explore other offers. He was the most experienced among the departing players. The player joined T1 after a successful 2024 season with Gen.G and played a key role in the team's victory at Masters Bangkok 2025, where he was named the tournament MVP. Ahead of the 2026 season, Munchkin also joined T1, initially taking on the in-game leader (IGL) role on the Controller position, but team roles underwent changes throughout the year.
DH was promoted to the main roster from T1 Academy for a short period in 2026. He played four group stage matches, primarily on the Controller and Cypher positions. He was later replaced by stax, who returned to IGL duties, while Munchkin shifted to a secondary caller role.
The coaching staff has also undergone a complete overhaul. Head coach KDG, a former Overwatch and T1A mentor, is leaving the position he took over last offseason after Autumn's move to EDward Gaming. Assistant coach CheongGak, who had a long history of working with T1 in 2023 and 2024, is also departing from the team. He had returned to T1 after a brief stint at Wolves Esports specifically to help form an all-Korean roster.
Despite significant roster changes, T1 enters the offseason with a solid foundation. The presence of stax as the IGL (who can flex to the Controller and Initiator positions), main duelist BuZz, and versatile player iZu removes any restrictions on signing new esports athletes and selecting their roles. However, the key challenge for the organization will be finding its third head coach in the last three years—a step that could be decisive in the fight for their first Pacific championship title.
Currently, the active T1 roster looks as follows:
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