One of the top players in the North American VALORANT Game Changers circuit, Katja “katsumi” Pfahnl, has revealed that she will no longer be competing in the scene. Instead, she plans to focus on qualifying for Challengers in 2024 with a mixed-gender roster.
In a Twitter announcement on October 15, katsumi stated, “I’m not going to be playing in Game Changers moving forward, and I have no plans to return at this time.” She explained that while she will continue competing, she is shifting away from Game Changers as she sees it as a temporary step rather than her ultimate goal.
Throughout her career, katsumi has always believed in her ability to become a top player outside of Game Changers. However, she has come to realize that the path to achieving her goals may not be as straightforward as transitioning directly from a Game Changers team to a challengers or franchised team. She expressed gratitude for the past two years she spent competing in Game Changers, describing it as a comfortable and stable environment. Nevertheless, she believes it’s time to step out of her comfort zone and push herself further.
Katsumi gained prominence in the North American Game Changers scene while playing for the former Cloud9 White squad. With Cloud9 White, she won seven regional championships and participated in the first GC World Championship on LAN. After Cloud9 disbanded its Game Changers roster, katsumi joined XSET Purple, where she took on the role of in-game leader. The team achieved third place in the first NA Game Changers series of the year but struggled in the second series, failing to advance beyond the lower bracket. In the third series, XSET and katsumi did not compete as most of the other players on the team left for other organizations.
Instead of following a similar path, katsumi has decided to pursue qualification for Challengers 2024 alongside a new roster. She will be joined by her former Cloud9 White coach Reid “x0tek” Johnson, Jason “JSUNG” Sung (formerly of Soniq Esports), Danny Huynh (formerly of Gen. G and Ghost Gaming), and PapiCantaloupe. This new endeavor promises an exciting and challenging environment for katsumi to continue her competitive journey.
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Source: DOTESPORTS
