Evil Geniuses has officially announced the signing of Jaccob "yay" Whiteaker to complete their 2025 VCT roster. The lineup now features yay alongside icy, with the retained core of NaturE, supamen, and Derrek. This move signals EG's intent to remain competitive in the upcoming season.
yay has already made an unofficial debut with EG at the Sen City Classic, where the team secured a third-place finish. Notably, they defeated Cloud9 during the event, showcasing early potential with their revamped roster.
Known as one of the most dominant players of Valorant's pre-partnership era, yay earned his reputation with Envy and OpTic Gaming. During his time with OpTic, he achieved three grand finals appearances and secured a Masters trophy, cementing the team as one of the era's best. His exceptional performance in 2022 also earned him the Esports Player of the Year award at the Game Awards.
However, yay's career faced setbacks following his time with OpTic. In 2023, he joined Cloud9 but was released after just two matches, leaving him out of the partnership leagues' first season. Subsequently, he signed with Disguised in the Challengers circuit, but the team struggled, failing to win a single match for the remainder of the year.
In 2024, yay sought a fresh start in the Pacific region with BLEED, joining the team after their Ascension victory. Unfortunately, BLEED's struggles persisted, and they managed just one win during Kickoff and Stage 1. Shortly after, yay stepped down from the active roster, citing health concerns. Now, he returns to North America with Evil Geniuses, seeking redemption and a chance to reclaim his form.
Evil Geniuses 2025 Roster
🇺🇸 Nicholas "NaturE" Garrison
🇺🇸 Derrek "Derrek" Ha
🇺🇸 Phat "supamen" Le
🇺🇸 Jacob "icy" Lange
🇺🇸 Jaccob "yay" Whiteaker
🇺🇸 Christine "potter" Chi (Head Coach)
🇺🇸 Mike "pho" Panza (Assistant Coach)
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