Gen.G’s Valorant division has announced the signings of Lee ‘Dambi’ Hyuk-kyu and Kim ‘MaKo’ Myeong-kwan to its Valorant roster.
The roster has yet to decide on a fifth, with Kim ‘t3xture’ Na-ra explaining that the IGL role has not yet been decided either.
Gen.G Step Up Ambition for Valorant 2027 Circuit
Gen.G is undoubtedly one of the biggest brands in esports, but its Valorant division suffered a notable regression from its 2024 heights through 2025 and 2026.
After a strong 2024 saw Gen.G win VCT 2024 Pacific Kickoff, Valorant Masters Shanghai 2024, and VCT 2024 Pacific Stage 2, Gen.G narrowly missed out on Kickoff and EWC victories the following year before falling off a cliff in 2026.
Gen.G’s 2026 results included:
- VCT 2026 Pacific Kickoff – 9th-10th
- VCT 2026: Pacific Stage 1 – 11th-12th
- VCT 2026: Pacific Stage 2 – 5th-6th
After securing Partner Status for the VCT 2027 circuit revamp, Gen.G has decided to reinvest in their roster, rebuilding with arguably the biggest rising star in the region, Dambi.
Dambi’s dominant Neon play made him a household name in the Valorant world, with his fragging spearheading Nongshim RedForce’s VCT 2026 Pacific Kickoff and Valorant Masters Santiago victories, which the team completed in undefeated fashion.
While the meta somewhat shifted as the year went on, Dambi remained a force to be reckoned with and may benefit from the new Duelist Agent, Hush. His departure from Nongshim followed the news that the organization was not selected as a VCT partner for 2027.
Dambi’s signing coincided with the arrival of MaKo to the roster, as Gen.G secured the services of the VCT 2025 Pacific Controller of the Year.
The former DRX Controller was a key piece of DRX’s journey from Challengers to Valorant Champions 2022, where they finished third. After finishing second to Gen.G in VCT 2024 Pacific Stage 2, MaKo secured his first regional split at VCT 2025 Kickoff, ending the year with yet another third-place finish at Valorant Champions 2025 in Paris.
The new Gen.G players were unveiled on a livestream by the org, where they were joined by new teammates Kim ‘t3xture’ Na-ra and Kim “Karon” Won-tae, with t3xture noting that they have not yet decided their fifth or who will be the IGL on the roster.
Who do you think should be the fifth? Let us know on the Insider Gaming Discord.
Meanwhile, it’s claimed that Tyson ‘TenZ’ Ngo will return to Valorant pro play with T1 next year. And for even more Insider Gaming delivered directly to your inbox, sign up for our newsletter.
Darragh is an Esports Journalist for Insider Gaming specialising in Counter-Strike. He loves to explore how esports teams work, or why they very often do not.
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