The 2023 world champion and one of the most eccentric players, Max "Demon1" Mazanov, has officially left the American team NRG, where he had been serving as a substitute. However, rumors suggest that he has already reached a verbal agreement with another team competing in VCT Americas.

A short season with NRG

It’s worth recalling that after Evil Geniuses became world champions in 2023, information surfaced online about the organization keeping all players in "contract jail." A few weeks later, four out of five players, including Demon1, left EG. Max then joined NRG but was unable to replicate the success of the previous season. While part of the American organization, he finished 3rd-4th at the VCT 2024: Americas Kickoff and 9th-10th at VCT 2024: Americas Stage 1. As a result, the team missed all major international events, and Demon1 was benched.

Leaving the team and rumors of a new club

The world champion couldn't stay on the bench for long, and yesterday it was announced that he is leaving NRG. The team shared this decision on their official social media accounts. Interestingly, the farewell message included the phrase, “He’s too good to waste his talent on the bench,” further emphasizing how the community views Demon1’s high level of play.

But fans of the player need not worry, as rumors suggest he has already reached a verbal agreement with the Argentine team Leviatan. The team already includes one world champion, Aspas, but insiders report that he plans to leave. It’s worth noting that rumors about Demon1 have been circulating for weeks. For more details, check out our article.

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It is still unknown when the official announcement of Demon1’s joining Leviatan will be made, but it's likely to happen soon after the team wraps up its scheduled tournaments during the off-season.