Jaccob “yay” Whiteaker, the champion of Masters Reykjavik 2022, has officially joined Bleed Esports. The talented North American player will be joining the Ascension Pacific 2023 winning roster for the upcoming VCT 2024 season. Bleed Esports, a Singaporean organization, announced their full roster on September 30, revealing that yay will be playing alongside four Southeast Asian Valorant pros.
In an interview released by Bleed, yay shared his reasons for leaving the North American region and moving to Singapore. He expressed his belief that the Valorant scene in North America is declining, which influenced his decision to sign with Bleed Esports. He also mentioned his intrigue in the unique Valorant style of the APAC and China regions, and his desire to experience it and develop his game.
Yay highlighted the ongoing financial drama in North America’s esports scene, citing organizations like The Guard letting go of their Valorant roster despite their victory in VCL Ascensions America. There are also reports suggesting that players from Evil Geniuses’ Valorant Champions 2023 winning roster may leave the organization due to pay cuts next year. Given these circumstances, the move to Singapore seemed like the right choice for yay.
The North American star expressed his positive experience with Bleed, noting the wholesome environment and friendly nature of the team. He contrasted this with his past experiences on North American teams, where toxicity and drama were more prevalent. Yay last played for Jeremy “Disguised Toast” Wang’s Valorant roster in the VCL North America Challengers League, where they finished in last place and were relegated out of the league.
Joining one of the top Valorant rosters in Asia, yay will now be playing for Bleed Esports. The team dominated the Valorant Challengers League’s Malaysia and Singapore split, finishing with an impressive 18-1 record. They secured the top spot in their group in the Ascension Pacific 2023 tournament and defeated Boom Esports 2-1 in the semifinals. Bleed advanced to the VCT Pacific League after a convincing 3-0 victory over Japanese squad SCARZ in the grand final.
Despite his international success in 2022, including winning Masters Reykjavik with OpTic Gaming and achieving top-three finishes at Masters Copenhagen and Valorant Champions 2022, yay is managing his expectations for the upcoming season. While he aims to win and improve, he understands that securing championships takes time. His main goal is to be happy and perform well this season.
Bleed Esports’ Valorant roster for VCT Pacific 2024 consists of Derrick “Deryeon” Yee, Ngô “crazyguy” Anh, Nutchaphon “sScary” Matarat, Javier “Egoist” Chu, and Jaccob “yay” Whiteaker. According to reports, yay has signed a two-year contract with Bleed.
Bleed will kick off their VCT 2024 campaign in the Pacific League, where they will face tough competition from top teams in the region, including DRX and Valorant Champions 2023 runner-up Paper Rex.
You can watch Bleed’s roster reveal video below:
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Source: ONEESPORTS
