T1 are set to make significant changes to their roster this offseason. The Korean organization announced on Wednesday that it had retained its place among the eight
VCT Pacific partner teams, as previously reported by
Sheep Esports. The announcement marks the beginning of the team’s offseason following a recent campaign at
VALORANT Champions, where they achieved their best-ever finish in the tournament, placing fifth–sixth.
Despite this result, the team is still planning several changes and is set to part ways with three players. According to sources close to
Sheep Esports, those departures are expected to include Byeon “
Munchkin” Sang-beom, Kim “
Meteor” Tae-oh, and Kang “
DH” Dong-ho, the team’s substitute who spent part of Stage 2 in the starting lineup. According to the
VCT Global Contract Database, DH was under contract until 2027, while Meteor and Munchkin were both due to see their contracts expire this year.
Among the team’s remaining players, Ham “iZu” Woo-Joo is the only one under contract until 2027, while Yu “BuZz” Byung-chul and Kim “stax” Gu-taek are still in discussions with the organization, which is keen to retain them. T1 could therefore keep the same core that helped the team qualify for Masters Santiago and reach the Champions playoffs in 2027.
The end of an era and a failed gamble
After spending two seasons with Gen.G Esports, Munchkin returned to T1 to take on the in-game leader role, having previously played for the organization in 2023. Meteor, who also had a stint with Gen.G, had been with T1 for two seasons. He established himself as one of VCT Pacific’s top players, playing a major role in T1’s qualification for Champions with his performances on Chamber. The two players, aged 28 and 26, respectively, will now be looking for new teams ahead of next season.
DH, meanwhile, returned to T1’s main roster during Stage 2 this season after being demoted to the academy team following Champions 2025. With two wins and two losses after his return, alongside individual performances that failed to convince, T1 ultimately reconsidered the move and brought stax back into the starting lineup. The organization will now look to start afresh by parting ways with all three players.
