FunPlus Phoenix release Meddo from their VALORANT roster

There is no doubt that FunPlus Phoenix went into the First Strike Europe Regional Final as one of the favorites, alongside the likes of G2 Esports, Team Liquid, and Team Heretics. Unfortunately, their quest for the title was halted after a defeat from Fnatic in the semifinals by a 2-1 score. In a sudden turn of events, the organization announced the release of Johan "Meddo" Lundborg.

Meddo joined the roster back in August with the rest of the squad, being picked up as a combination of the heaviest hitters from former SKADE and PartyParrots members. Since then, the Swede has been an integral part of their victories in the Rise of Titans and the Valorant Contenders Cup. In addition to multiple 2nd place finishes in each of the BLAST Valorant Twitch Invitational, the Allied Esports Odyssey, and the Wave Esports Invitational Cup - S1.

Throughout his tenure with FunPlus Phoenix, he averaged 201 ACS with a 1.23 K/D and 16 clutches to his name. Meddo is notorious for his dangerous and clinical Cypher plays, while putting impressive performances on Omen and Killjoy as well.

Some may attribute the release to his underwhelming First Strike Europe Regional Final, only bringing an average of 96.3 Average Damage per Round, with 157 ACS across the event and a 0.95 K/D. However, after reaching out to Petar "peca" Marković, General Manager of FunPlus Phoenix’s VALORANT roster, he provided us with the following exclusive statement on the situation.

“I would like to say that our decision has nothing to do with our results in the First Strike, even though the result hasn't been satisfactory for us and our fans from all over the globe.”

“Meddo is a great friend, very dedicated worker and probably one of the best Cypher players in Europe, but after a deep discussion with our coaching staff and our captain, we have mutually decided that terminating Meddo's contract is probably the best for both parties. We at FunPlus Phoenix would like to wish him best of luck in his future endeavors and we will always be there to support him.”

“The decision behind this move has been made because we would like to make a change in our playstyle starting from the next competitive season, and Meddo as a player is just not the best fit for the long-term strategy we are trying to build. We are aiming to become the best team in the world, and I would like to ask our fans and the community to have faith in our decisions. We will get there.” stated peca on Meddo’s departure and the current situation of the team.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below with predictions on where we will see Meddo end up next.

The current FunPlus Phoenix VALORANT squad consists of:

Pontus "Zyppan" Eek Tobias "ShadoW" Flodström Kirill "ANGE1" Karasiow Andrey "Shao" Kiprsky

Ivan "Johnta" Shevtsov (Coach)