VALORANTNaVi CyvOph Steps Out of VCT, Kolosha Stands In
NaVi is switching around its VCT EMEA roster in Stage 2, promoting Kolosha while CyvOph takes a hiatus. Here’s a recap.
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FIFTY FIFTY Athena had a viral 1v3 clutch while playing VALORANT with TenZ. Image Credits: VCT Pacific via Instagram, TenZ via Twitch
Plenty of unexpected VALORANT fans have come out of the woodwork in recent years. As pro players become pop-culture celebrities, their tournaments are drawing more attention and spawning collabs. For instance, actor Ben Affleck revealed several years ago that he plays VALORANT, and he and his son are Sentinels fans. Well-known musician keshi also appeared at a VCT Americas tournaments, taking pictures with 100 Thieves player Cryo.
K-pop band FIFTY FIFTY is the latest to join the fray. The girl group’s vocalist, Athena, officially became T1’s VALORANT team ambassador in June. She also follows esports, and described herself as a ‘VCT superfan’ in a VCT Pacific interview.
What is FIFTY FIFTY Athena’s VALORANT Rank?
(Video Credits: VCT Pacific via Instagram)
Athena is reportedly an avid VALORANT player, queueing up Ranked in her spare time outside of tours and performances. She has hit quite a high level: Athena’s VALORANT peak rank is Immortal 1 at 97 RR. Due to her busy schedule, she hasn’t had as much time to play recently, so she’s currently hovering around Ascendant.
FIFTY FIFTY Athena and TenZ Collab to Play VALORANT Together
On August 13, Athena teamed up with T1 streamer Tyson ‘TenZ’ Ngo to play a few games together. TenZ has a lengthy esports career, formerly participating in Counter-Strike competition. After VALORANT’s launch, he became the game’s first household name pro while playing on Cloud9. TenZ later stayed on Sentinels for several years. He won the VALORANT’s first-ever Masters event (Reykjavík 2021) and his last Masters before retirement (Madrid 2024).
After retiring, TenZ moved to T1 as a content creator. TenZ and Athena queued up in full T1 swag. The duo had matching gaming chairs and Athena was outfitted in an official jersey.
Athena’s Viral 1v3 Clutch
Living up to her name (Athena is the ancient Greek goddess of war and wisdom), FIFTY FIFTY Athena brought top-tier strategy to the battlefield. Her 1v3 clutch on Astra went viral. While cruising through a pistol round with TenZ, Athena defended against a Haven C-site retake. All her teammates died, leaving her alone.
From an esports standpoint, Athena’s in-game mechanics looked extremely clean. She used her utility carefully, relying on good game sense to judge safe times to smoke. She actively filled in gaps for her teammates (pushing flank to cover her Raze’s plant), and she had precise crosshair placement. She’s clearly invested in aim training, since she prioritizes headshots and hits them consistently.
Athena’s movement and positioning were what really stood out. She entered her duels perfectly and confidently took fights. You can see her ‘slicing the pie’ to clear angles, making quick adjustments that wouldn’t cause movement error and dividing the site instead of swinging all at once. She also isolates 1v1s like a natural.
In another round on Lotus, Athena delivered an impressive 3k with the Vandal. The duo also had some sillier moments, where TenZ knife killed Athena several times.
Fans seemed to enjoy watching the collab, and it’s gone viral both on FIFTY FIFTY fan pages and VALORANT esports accounts. As VALORANT is not only a hobby for Athena but has also become a part of her career, we’ll likely see her zooming around the map again soon.
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