On January 10, the Japanese organization Crest Gaming Zst announced the termination of the contract with Art by mutual agreement. The team's official Twitter account reported this event. This development shocked fans as the open qualifying round for VCJ is approaching on the 22nd.
Art, formerly known as Ibaraki Ninja, began his career playing for the Sengoku Gaming club and later became part of Jadeite. He led them to a second-place finish in VALORANT Challengers 2023: Japan Split 2. The player was highly regarded as one of the best IGLs in Japan.
During the offseason, Art faced difficulties in finding a team, stating that "99.999% of players are forced to end their careers." Surprisingly, despite the challenges in finding a team, he joined CGZ in October. He also participated in the Predator League offseason tournament, taking second place in the Japanese qualifiers.
With his departure, the team may encounter challenges in the upcoming VCJ, but the roster has a substitute player, Alpha, who is likely to act as Art replacement in the near future.
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