NRG VALORANT Benches Verno and Coach Bonkar

[Pelican Press 0]

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

NRG VALORANT Benches Verno and Coach Bonkar

After 12 official matches as a team and only three during VCT Americas, NRG has benched Andrew “Verno” Maust and VALORANT coach Malkolm “bonkar” Rench. Following a strong performance at offseason events that resulted in high expectations, NRG has already made significant changes.

---

Verno and Bonkar Out From NRG After Only a Dozen Official Matches

Roster changes to the NRG VALORANT roster had been rumored since the conclusion of kickoff, but were confirmed by the organization today. NRG’s Chief Gaming Officer Jaime Cohenca

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

the benching is a result of a lack of cohesion that has been brewing for months.

“What I can say is that we put together a roster that was poised to contend for international championships but ultimately failed in terms of team cohesion,” Cohenca wrote on X. “Winning SEN City and SOOP [in the offseason] only delayed the effects of the issues brewing. The team no longer could function as constructed, so continuing with the current five players/head coach was not an option.

Given the nature of the VCT schedule, this break is pretty much the only window to make a roster move, so we are doing things now to be ready for when a Champs slot is on the line.”

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

VCT Roster Update: Verno and Bonkar have been moved to the NRG VALORANT reserve roster.

They will remain a part of NRG as we prepare for the remainder of the 2025 VCT season.

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

Long-time veterans of NRG in Sam “s0m” Oh, Pujan “FNS” Mehta, and Ethan “Ethan” Arnold will seemingly stay on the starting roster. Adam “mada” Pampuch, who joined the teamduring this past offseason, will also stay following an exceptional statistical performance at Kickoff. Some fans speculate that former coach Chetan “Chet” Singh could return when his suspension expires at the end of Masters Bangkok. Chet was suspended by Riot Games for streaming VODs deemed “confidential” on his personal channel.

NRG lost to Cloud9 and KRÜ at Kickoff, while managing to win against 100T in between those matches, but earned no points towards Champions qualification. Their season resumes when VCT Americas Stage 1 starts in late March.

Who should NRG bring on to the starting lineup? Let us know down below or on the Insider Gaming forum.

---

For more Insider Gaming esports coverage, check out the news that a $400,000 Marvel Rivals tournament is coming.

SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter to receive the latest news and exclusive leaks every week! No Spam.

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

#NRG #VALORANT #Benches #Verno #Coach #Bonkar

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up