G2 and Envy have swapped players Dreaz and Atomic mere weeks before the RLCS 2021-22 Winter Split Regionals are set to begin.
Ahead of the RLCS 2021-22 Winter Split Regionals, and on the final day before the Transfer Window closed, G2 Esports and Team Envy swapped players. The change has taken effect immediately, shifting two players between the teams, including Dreaz, who was responsible for G2 Esports taking home the North American RLCS 2021-22 Fall Regional Grand Finals.
With Andres "Dreaz" Jordan of G2 Esports and Massimo "Atomic" Franceschi of Team Envy swapping sides, fans are left wondering the reasons behind this last-minute roster change. One theory suggests that the two teams were keen for a roster shake-up following their defeat in last month's RLCS 2021-22 Fall Split Majors. Why they chose these particular players for the roster change is as-of-yet unknown.
Atomic has been an especially strong player for Team Envy, after he joined the team in early 2020. Despite consistent wins and a Top 6 placing in the 2020 Spring Split, he is leaving the organization after a solid two-year stint in the role. As we stated previously, it is still unknown precisely why Atomic decided to leave for G2 Esports.
In the meantime, Dreaz will be joining Team Envy. This is the first roster change he has been apart of since he took the place of Dillon "Rizzo" Rizzo during RLCS X. Dreaz took the position at G2 Esports after Rizzo retired, citing a lack of "drive, or the motivation to continue to do it" as the primary reason for stepping away from professional Rocket League Esports.
Dreaz and Atomic Trade Places
After a busy year in the spotlight, both Dreaz and Atomic are relatively well-known players in the Rocket League Esports community. The two players will be looking to improve their respective teams after a disappointing RLCS 2021-22 Fall Split, but it is unclear why the change was necessary. Whether this has anything to do with Dreaz's position as a "substitute" for Rizzo in G2 Esports is unknown, but does seem possible.
In the RLCS 2021-22 Fall Major, which was held as a LAN Event in Stockholm, G2 Esports and Team Envy faced off. G2 Esports came out on top after a 3-1 win against Team Envy, but then lost against Team Endpoint in the following match, resulting in a fairly disappointing showing from both teams. It therefore makes sense that a roster change became necessary, but the specifics of the shake-up do seem a little dubious.
TIME TO DOMINATE 20G2Welcome to the G2ARMY @At0micRL pic.twitter.com/bELpIY0Xnq
— G2 Esports (@G2esports) January 2, 2022
In a Twitter statement (scene above), G2 Esports came out to announce that Atomic would be joining the team, but also bid farewell to Dreaz in a heartfelt video...
Of course, with great news comes farewells as well. Dreaz is going to be leaving us, but listen Dreaz: you've given everything to us and we've given everything to you. When you joined G2 as a rookie, you had everything to prove and you proved it. We are very proud to having had you with us and we just wish you the absolute best in your next chapter.
It seems that G2 Esports had been vying for Atomic for quite some time, and are very pleased to have him on the team. That being said, that doesn't mean that it isn't bittersweet for them to be saying goodbye to Dreaz, who was with them for some quite impressive games over the last year.