Disguised VALORANT, the roster brought together under the banner forged by superstar streamer Disguised Toast, may have figured out the blend between old and new.
The core of the roster features a plethora of young talent but is led by one of the most enduring competitive FPS players of all time in Joshua “steel” Nissan. For steel, this is not a new experience, having been put in charge of leading a young NA roster on T1 last year. But to the former First Strike champion, there’s a different feel to this group, one that reminds him of playing in his younger days.
“What I like about what we’ve got going on here is that this group feels very ‘old school,’” steel told Dot Esports. “[Coach] Ocean and I come from a time in [CS:GO] where you got five people together and you played because you wanted to be there and there wasn’t really money involved. You just did it because you wanted to be there and you wanted to work hard and you wanted to just win. We’ve got similar vibes but with Toast supporting us.”
Steel says that this mindset on the Disguised team has translated to an open and accountable communicative environment, where players aren’t afraid to hold back regarding in-game issues. As the team learns to communicate and compete at the highest level, steel says that Disguised Toast is “learning along the way” how to be an owner, and steel understands that things may not be as streamlined as they were during his stints with T1 and 100 Thieves.
Toast himself has been very transparent about his foray into esports team ownership, speaking publicly on his streams and on podcasts about the process of signing players, long-term viability, and sponsorship opportunities.
As for the team itself, they have an opportunity to really boost the prominence of the new organization with a successful run in Challengers and Ascension. But it won’t be easy in a tough group featuring the likes of TSM, M80, and their opening-day opponents in The Guard. Steel told Dot that a big priority for them is solidifying their map pool, which has not been an easy task as they’ve had to be prepared for the departing Breeze and Bind and the soon-to-be-added Lotus and returning Split. But confidence remains high.
“I don’t think there’s anyone we’re particularly afraid of, necessarily; they’re all beatable,” steel said. “We’re beating them in practice games, they’re beating us in practice games depending on the map or the day. Anything can happen but as long as we stick to our game plan, I think we’ll be OK.”
Disguised’s first official NA VALORANT Challengers League match against The Guard is scheduled for Feb. 1 at 6pm CT.
