NRG signs ImAPet and daps, s0m signing uncertain

M Alzamora Published 05/10/2020

It’s been confirmed that NRG Esports was actually pursuing ex-Gen.G in-game leader Damien “daps” Steele and 100 Thieves head coach Chet “ImAPet” Singh.

NRG announced two members of its debut Valorant roster in a tweet from the organization’s official Twitter account. The move confirms reports that the organization was interested in the CSGO veterans. Those rumors also linked Gen.G’s Sam “s0m” Oh to the organization’s plans, but neither s0m nor NRG has made any announcements regarding the transfer of the young talent.

daps quiet on signing while ImAPet flames 100 Thieves

The signing reunites daps and ImAPet under the NRG banner after more than a year apart.

Both were part of NRG’s CSGO in 2019 before the organization transferred daps to Cloud9 in July. ImAPet continued on, leading the NRG roster to a fourth-place finish at the StarLadder Berlin Major by defeating Natus Vincere in the tournament’s playoff stage before being eliminated by eventual champions Astralis in the semifinals. NRG parlayed the roster’s success into a deal that sent ImAPet and the NRG roster to Evil Geniuses.

ImAPet left EG on April 4 of this year for the head coaching slot at 100T. A tweet following his return to NRG implied that his time with both his two previous employers may not have gone well. ImAPet singled out “management” in the tweet, but declined to say which organization he was referring to. 

For his part, daps hasn’t publically commented on his signing. Unlike regional competitor Cloud9, NRG has declined to reveal the terms of the pair’s contracts, but Astralis’ Lucas “Bubzkji” Andersen speculated that NRG had offered both daps and ImAPet more lucrative deals than the duo’s previous teams were willing to match.

Valorant down on Twitch but an attractive alternative to CSGO, especially for orgs

Valorant is slowly snaking its way into CSGO’s top talent after the firesale of tier-two talent from Valve’s shooter over the game’s summer release window. While the game’s Twitch viewership is down overall, organizations have started building competent rosters with CSGO’s top talent.

100 Thieves recently announced its full Valorant roster comprised of three of CSGO’s most experienced players after announcing its first signing in July. With top organizations dipping their toes into the Valorant pool, it’s now up to Riot to ensure the game’s success as an esport.

An adjustment to Valorant’s ranking system was announced on October 5 and should continue to improve the game’s basic functions. Riot also has a sharp eye on competitive balance with Patch 1.09’s much-needed operator nerf. Furthermore, organizations could be making more money with Riot even if CSGO is beating the shooter on Twitch. CSGO players traditionally receive 100% of tournament winnings, and it’s unclear if Valorant’s prize pools are distributed in that way or to the winning organization.

Valorant is slowly gaining on Counter-Strike, especially after the Esports Integrity Commission introduced evidence of widespread cheating in CSGO’s professional scene. At this point, all Valorant needs to do is what it’s already doing while the indisputable king of shooter esports plays catch-up.

M Alzamora

About M Alzamora

There are few things that writer M Alzamora loves more in life than Pokemon. And there are even fewer things that she loves more than her favorite Pokemon, Eevee. But M’s appreciation for gaming isn’t just limited to Nintendo’s famous pocket monsters. She’s interested in every type of game across every genre of gaming, and she has the credentials to prove it. M’s work has also been seen on Working Classicists and gaming sites.

View full profile

Read Also

Counter-Strike

IEM Cologne Major 2026 CS2 Stage 3 Pick’Em Predictions Owen Harsono It’s that time of the year again, as the next Counter-Strike 2 Major is right around the corner. The IEM Cologne 2026 Major is set to start on June 2, meaning you still have some time to lock in your Pick’Em predictions. The Pick’Em Challenge is one of the most exciting parts of the CS2 Majors, as it allows you to test your knowledge and predict which teams make it ...

Counter-Strike

Team Spirit concede just 10 rounds in Stage 2 of the IEM Cologne Major Owen Harsono It was pretty weird seeing Team Spirit having to start the IEM Cologne Major from Stage 2, but they quickly proved why that was a mistake. With donk shooting on all fronts, the Eastern Europeans speed ran the competition to book their spot in Stage 3. With how they’ve been playing, it’s hard not to wonder whether they can actually win the entire thing. These boys can sometimes be known ...

Counter-Strike

BIG pull off 0-12 comeback to stay alive – IEM Cologne Major Stage 1 recap Owen Harsono We’ve just witnessed arguably the worst choke in Counter-Strike Major history, and we’re only on the first stage of the IEM Cologne Major. If you didn’t tune into the Stage 1 matches, here’s what you need to know heading into Stage 2. Many fans tend to underestimate Stage 1 teams for fair reasons, but some survivors in this tournament look extremely promising. Two Eastern European teams, BetBoom Team and B8, ...

Counter-Strike

Who will win the IEM Cologne Major 2026? Owen Harsono If you’re looking to play it safe and back one team at the Counter-Strike 2 IEM Cologne 2026 Major, traders prediction markets platforms have a clear frontrunner – it’s Team Vitality. But if it’s not meant to be, there are a few other candidates that could lift the trophy. Here’s what traders on Polymarket and Kalshi think. If you haven’t been watching CS2 this year and are only jumping on ...

Counter-Strike

The 10 best CS2 players who have never won a Major Owen Harsono In Counter-Strike, winning a Major immediately puts you into legend status. It’s an achievement that proves you won the game’s biggest trophy. However, there have been some really good players that could never get their hands on the biggest trophy that Counter-Strike esports has to offer. Here is WIN.gg's list of best CS2 players who have never won a Major. ScreaM is one of Counter-Strike's most famous players for one ...

Counter-Strike

IEM Cologne Major 2026: All the teams, favorites, and outright betting odds Owen Harsono Mark your calendars, as the IEM Cologne Major kicks off on June 2, 2026. We’re going to see the best teams in the world compete, but which ones are actually favored to take the title? This will be the first time in 10 years that IEM Cologne will return as a Counter-Strike Major, so the stakes this year are much higher than they’ve been in a decade. In this guide, ...

Esports Betting

All IEM Cologne winners and rosters in Counter-Strike history Owen Harsono IEM Cologne is one of Counter-Strike’s biggest events, happening every single year. Some seasons, the event is labeled as one of Valve’s two Counter-Strike Majors of the year, but if not, still stands as one of the big events every player chases to win. With the IEM Cologne 2026 Major right around the corner, let’s take a trip down memory lane and check out every single winner of the tournament, ...