KOI player Juhani "Kantoraketti" Toivonen and coach Matthew "meepeY" Sharples both announced today that they have been released by the organization ahead of the 2023 season.
Under meepeY, the former Rogue team began a renaissance that saw the team go from inconsistency in the EUL to a semi-final finish at the Sweden Major in Nov. 2021. This preceded a disappointing Six Invitational 2022 and a sixth-place finish in Stage 1 that year.
Kantoraketti was signed to the then-Rogue roster ahead of the start of the 2022 season, having been largely away from the tier-one scene after leaving G2 Esports.
The poor Stage 1 was followed up by a remarkable win at the Berlin Major, where Rogue scrimmaged minimally during the tournament. This win came despite three roster changes, including Kantoraketti, in the first two transfer windows of the year.
Most recently, KOI finished in the top six at the Six Invitational 2023 after a narrow 7-8 decider map elimination to Astralis in the lower bracket.
Now, Kantoraketti and meepeY are searching for new teams heading into the 2023 season.