NRG and Shanks part ways following Shanks' Twitch ban

Valorant pro player Ryan "Shanks" Ngo is no longer a part of NRG's Valorant roster, the organisation announced on 23rd March.

The Canadian player simultaneously revealed via Twitter that he and NRG "mutually agreed to part ways".

While the real reasons behind this parting will probably never be revealed, it is heavily speculated that the reason is a sudden Twitch ban Shanks has been handed a little over a month ago.

On 13th February 2021, Shanks has been given a ban from Twitch, for which he claims he knows no reason. According to him, he was trying to get an answer from Twitch for over a month, until he finally decided to give up and make a transition to YouTube.

Interestingly enough, almost at the same time, NRG Clix has been banned as well, but his ban was lifted just two days after he revealed that he was supposedly permanently banned. He is a much bigger streamer than Shanks, so many believe that Twitch is again showing double standards for big and small streamers.

(Picture: NRG)

Shanks' short Valorant career has been a turbulent one, as this is his second parting with an org in less than six months, and both time it was accompanied by controversies. September last year, Shanks and Poised were dropped from Dignitas' Valorant roster amid match-fixing rumours.

On the other hand, NRG's time spent in Valorant esports hasn't exactly been prosperous as well, as it seems that the org is struggling to find the right team since they entered Valorant esports in October 2020.

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Over a period of six months, they have dropped 5 players: xCeeD, KOLER, effeys, Infinite, Shanks, and their results have been mediocre at best.

It is yet to be revealed who will replace Shanks, while Shanks himself revealed that his new focus will be full-time streaming.