Sources: Impact set to join T1 Academy in Challengers Korea

Recently removed from QT DIG∞, Park "Impact" Sung-hyun is expected to join T1 Academy in VALORANT Challengers Korea, replacing Park "Pkm" Kang-min, according to sources close to Sheep Esports. Pkm is, in turn, expected to join QT DIG∞ in VCL Japan, as previously reported by our journalists. While the move could appear to be a trade between the two organizations, that does not seem to be the case, with T1 also having tested other names, including “winter”, a young South Korean Duelist who recently played for ZETA DIVISION Academy.

After starting his career in South Korea with SLT, Impact quickly moved to Japan with Sengoku Gaming before briefly returning to VCL Korea at the beginning of 2025. At the end of last year, Sengoku, now rebranded as QT DIG∞, once again signed the South Korean Duelist for the 2026 VCL Japan season. Together, the team secured qualification for Stage 1 through the Advance Stage, which they won.

During the first split of the year, QT comfortably advanced through the opening phase after winning the lower bracket and qualifying for the playoffs. However, despite reaching the VCL Japan semifinals, the team was ultimately upset by FENNEL in a 2-1 series, ending the first part of the season with a Top 3-4 finish.

As a result, the two organizations are effectively making an unintended Duelist swap. After a strong start to the year with a second-place finish in the VCL Korea group stage behind Dplus KIA, the rest of the split proved more difficult for T1 Academy. Entering the playoffs through the upper bracket, the team immediately dropped to the lower bracket following a loss against Gen.G Academy.

They then secured two consecutive victories before facing Gen.G once again in the lower bracket final, where they suffered another defeat. After finishing Top 3 in Split 1, T1 appears to be making only a single roster change and already seems to have its lineup ready for the start of Split 2 in the coming weeks.