T1 Valorant overhaul: Meteor, Munchkin, DH and coach KDG out as VCT Pacific 2027 rebuild begins

T1 made sweeping changes to its Valorant team on 2 November 2026, the day the VCT 2027 transfer window opened. Kim "Meteor" Tae-o, Byeon "Munchkin" Sang-beom and Kang "DH" Dong-ho have all left. Head coach Kim "KDG" Dong-gun and coach CheongGak have gone too. Ham "iZu" Woo-joo, Kim "stax" Gu-taek and Yu "BuZz" Byung-chul are the only players kept for a rebuild in VCT Pacific.

Who has left T1

Meteor joined T1 in October 2024 and leaves at the end of his contract as a two-time Masters winner. Munchkin, a former Masters champion with Gen.G, joined in November 2025. DH came up from T1 Academy to the main roster in July 2026 and leaves as his contract ends.

The coaching changes are just as big. CheongGak had been with the team since March 2023. KDG joined in October 2025 and led T1 to its best Champions result. T1 has not named replacements or any new players.

A clean slate across every tier

The main-roster changes follow T1's release of its whole academy on 26 October: coach Ma "ValAnalysis" Hyun-sung and players Impact, DarK, Satoru, Gnadel and wezzy. T1 decided not to promote any of them. The team now has three players under contract and no coaching staff.

A strong 2026 season ended anyway

The reset comes after one of T1's best Valorant years. Under CheongGak, and with Meteor in the line-up, T1 won Masters Bangkok, beating G2 Esports 3-2 in the grand final. That made them the second Pacific team to win a Masters title. Under KDG, and with Munchkin added, T1 reached the Champions playoffs for the first time and finished 5th–6th at Champions Shanghai. T1 also finished second at VCT Pacific Kickoff in 2025 and 2026, and third in Stage 2 this year.

T1 is one of eight partner teams for VCT Pacific 2027–28. The two-year deal guarantees its place in the league, so it can rebuild without the risk of relegation. Not every Korean team was as lucky. KIWOOM DRX broke up its roster after it was left out of the partnership programme.

What it means for Southeast Asia

VCT Pacific 2027 has four partner teams from Southeast Asia: Paper Rex (Singapore), RRQ (Indonesia), FULL SENSE (Thailand) and GAM Esports (Vietnam). They join Gen.G, T1, ZETA DIVISION and Crazy Raccoon. Riot announced the eight teams on 23 October.

For SEA teams, a rebuilt T1 means one of the league's most consistent sides will have new players and coaches. Paper Rex are rebuilding too after parting ways with d4v41 and Jinggg earlier in the off-season. Several Pacific teams could start 2027 with new line-ups.

Key takeaways

• T1 released Meteor, Munchkin and DH and parted with coaches KDG and CheongGak on 2 November.
• iZu, stax and BuZz are the only players T1 kept. The whole academy was released on 26 October.
• In 2026 T1 won Masters Bangkok and reached the Champions playoffs for the first time.
• T1 has a guaranteed place in VCT Pacific 2027–28, alongside four SEA partners led by Paper Rex and RRQ.

FAQ

Which players remain on T1's Valorant roster? iZu, stax and BuZz are the only players still under contract after the 2 November changes.

Is T1 still in VCT Pacific for 2027? Yes. T1 is one of eight VCT Pacific partner teams and has a two-year deal that guarantees its place.

Which Southeast Asian teams are VCT Pacific partners in 2027? Paper Rex, RRQ, FULL SENSE and GAM Esports are the four SEA partner teams for the 2027–28 cycle.

Sources: THESPIKE.GG, Inquirer Technology