Ethan moves to Valorant, leaves Evil Geniuses for 100 Thieves

Evil Geniuses has confirmed Ethan “Ethan” Arnold’s departure from their CS:GO division, marking a significant career pivot as the talented rifler prepares to enter Riot Games’ competitive Valorant arena with 100 Thieves.

After establishing himself over five years in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, the 20-year-old professional now embarks on a new chapter in Valorant’s tactical shooter landscape. His departure concludes a three-year tenure with the core roster that previously competed under the NRG Esports banner until the organization’s rebranding in 2019.

During his CS:GO tenure, Ethan accumulated an impressive trophy collection including championship victories at IEM Shanghai 2018, ESL One New York 2019, and the Blast Premier 2020 America Spring Finals. Despite Evil Geniuses’ European boot camp initiative beginning this year, the team’s performance failed to meet expectations, culminating in a disappointing ninth-place elimination at IEM Katowice 2021 alongside three other competing squads.

Ethan’s exit provides Evil Geniuses with a crucial opportunity to implement strategic roster adjustments. Currently, no replacement announcement has been made, leaving the organization’s CS:GO lineup in transition with the following players:

• Peter “stanislaw” Jarguz
• Tarik “tarik” Celik
• Vincent “Brehze” Cayonte
• Tsvetelin “CeRq” Dimitrov

Thank you
@ethanarnold.

Although today is Ethan’s final day as a member of EG
#CSGO, we truly do wish him well in the next step of his competitive career.
pic.twitter.com/AmwzC9q2FJ
— Evil Geniuses (@EvilGeniuses)
February 28, 2021

Strategic Career Move: Ethan Joins Former CS:GO Teammates in Valorant

In his formal departure statement, Ethan acknowledged the meaningful experiences and relationships developed throughout his CSGO competitive journey. His transition into Valorant represents not just a game change but a calculated career evolution with 100 Thieves.

“I will be leaving
CS
and officially moving over to Valorant starting today. I’ve met many people through CS that I can now call friends and I’m extremely grateful for that. The one thing I ask is [that] if you’ve supported me this long, you follow me into the next chapter of my career and I promise I will not let you down” he declared, emphasizing “I’m excited about this new challenge and I can’t wait to give it my all over at 100 Thieves.”

Within the 100 Thieves organization, Ethan assumes the roster position previously held by Quan “dicey” Tran. His new teammates represent familiar competitive faces, as he reunites with former CSGO professionals Spencer “Hiko” Martin, Nicholas “nitr0” Canella, and Joshua “steel” Nissan. The competitive lineup is completed by emerging talent Peter “Asuna” Mazuryk.

Ethan’s professional Valorant debut occurs within days, as 100 Thieves prepares for competition in the Valorant Champions Tour. The tournament commences on March 4th, featuring 100 Thieves against North America’s elite competitive squads.

Following Ethan’s integration, 100 Thieves’ Valorant competitive roster now comprises:

• Ethan “Ethan” Arnold
• Spencer “Hiko” Martin
• Nicholas “nitr0” Canellas
• Joshua “steel” Nissan
• Peter “Asuna” Mazuryk

Welcome
@ethanarnold
to 100 Thieves VALORANT!

Ethan has been competing in CS:GO for the past five years, marking this his official debut in VALORANT. We’re excited to support his transition and can’t wait to see him compete with the team!
#100T
pic.twitter.com/BmuZYTJqos
— 100T Esports (@100T_Esports)
February 28, 2021

The strategic implications of Ethan’s transition extend beyond individual career moves, reflecting broader industry trends of professional players migrating between tactical shooters. This move parallels similar transitions seen in other FPS titles, where mastering fundamental skills like positioning and game sense provides transferable advantages. Understanding these cross-game mechanics can significantly benefit players exploring multiple competitive environments, similar to the strategic depth found in our Complete Guide to advanced gameplay systems.

Common transition challenges include adapting to Valorant’s ability-based mechanics while maintaining CS:GO’s refined shooting fundamentals. Professional players often underestimate the learning curve associated with character-specific abilities and economic system differences. Advanced optimization requires approximately 100-150 hours of dedicated practice to achieve competitive proficiency in the new game environment.

The 100 Thieves roster now represents one of the most experienced CS:GO converted lineups in Valorant, potentially setting a new benchmark for transition success. Their performance in the upcoming Valorant Champions Tour will provide crucial data on the viability of such cross-game migrations at the professional level.

For players considering similar transitions between tactical shooters, focusing on core mechanics like crosshair placement, movement precision, and communication protocols yields the highest return on investment. These fundamentals remain consistent across high-level FPS competition, much like the weapon mastery principles detailed in our Weapons Unlock guide for optimizing loadout effectiveness.

Team synergy development typically requires 2-3 months of intensive practice, with the most successful transitions occurring when multiple former teammates move together, as demonstrated by Ethan joining nitr0 and steel. This existing chemistry can accelerate adaptation timelines by 40-60% compared to building entirely new team dynamics from scratch.

No reproduction without permission：Game Guides Online » Ethan moves to Valorant, leaves Evil Geniuses for 100 Thieves Ethan transitions from CS:GO to Valorant with 100 Thieves, joining former teammates in tactical shooter debut