KOI bench baddyG, simoz as VALORANT roster rebuild begins

EMEA team KOI have benched Kamil “baddyG” Graniczka and coach Simone “simoz” Giovannini following a highly disappointing run through the 2025 VALORANT season.

The news was revealed on Monday by baddyG and coach simoz via an X post, where they announced they are restricted free agents looking for new opportunities for the next VALORANT Champions Tour season.

Both step away from KOI’s active lineup after a three-month stint.

The roster changes come as no surprise considering KOI’s abysmal showings in the 2025 VALORANT esports season, which they finished as one of the worst-performing teams in the region.

• 

  Fast Payouts

They entered the year with a fresh roster, featuring four new players and Bogdan “Sheydos” Naumo as the only carryover from 2024.

However, the new project did not find much success early, finishing the VCT Kickoff tournament with a first-round exit.

Things did not improve in VCT EMEA Stage 1, where KOI ended with a 1-4 record, which was enough for a 9th-10th result.

The tough start to the season led to some roster adjustments and the arrival of Nathan “nataNk” Bocqueho, Ondřej “MONSTEERR” Petrů, baddyG, and coach simoz, who all joined on May 15.

But the new-look lineup could not find any momentum either, finishing both the VALORANT Esports World Cup qualifiers and VCT EMEA Stage 2 in 9th-10th place.

Now entering an extended offseason, KOI will have enough time to rebuild and prepare for the next season, with more players likely to depart the team in the coming months.

• 

  The bookies' bookie

Meanwhile, the focus now shifts to the latter stages of the VCT EMEA Stage 2 playoffs, with the final four teams set to play on Friday, August 29.

BBL Esports and Team Liquid will face off in the upper-bracket final, and online bookmakers have them locked at -120.48 apiece to advance.

In the second match of the day, top VALORANT betting sites have GIANTX pegged as +110 underdogs for their clash with Natus Vincere (-151.52) in the lower-bracket final.