G2 Esports has announced that Andrej ‘babybay’ Francisty will take the place of Nathan ‘leaf’ Orf as a stand-in for the start of VCT Americas Stage 2.
Babybay, a former Overwatch pro, took a shot at competitive VALORANT on FaZe Clan but switched to full-time esports casting after that. Joining G2 Esports is a dream come true for him and it marks the biggest achievement of his career.
G2’s Roster Update and Leaf’s Absence
On the back of news surrounding Leaf’s absence from the VCT Americas Stage 2 kick-off, G2 has added babybay to their roster. On July 5th, G2 announced that Leaf was not eligible to compete at the Esports World Cup and replaced him with Pete ‘shhhack’ Belej for the tournament. G2 exited during the Group Stage.
Leaf joined G2’s VALORANT roster in October 2023, having previously spent two years with Cloud9. The player used to pro in CS: GO. Leaf is trustworthy and always has reliable axes. The player has been G2’s lifeline in the region winning various competitions and also finishing high at multiple Masters events. However, an international title continues to elude them.
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Babybay’s Journey Through VALORANT Esports
A veteran of the VALORANT community since post-launch 2020, Babybay, an esports powerhouse FaZe Clan representative in initial VALORANT tournaments and the regional Challengers circuit. In 2021, he competed against Sentinels in the Grand Final of the VCT North America Stage 1 Masters, placing second. In 2023, Babybay pivoted from the competitive scene to a commentary and analysis career.
He has been a familiar face in the VCT Americas won domination beginning from then onwards as launching week he was with the VALORANT Champions and Masters Shanghai events 2024. Babybay has played other games, for instance, Crossfire, and CS:GO but is recognized for his Overwatch career. He has played on various teams so far with some of the independent teams. But when he was on Atlanta Reign, Babybay was recognition for finishing 2nd in the 2019 Overwatch League Stage 1 Playoffs.
Babybay’s Return to Professional Play
Babybay discussed his upcoming return to competitive on July 20 with the following: G2 Esports gave me the opportunity to chase my dream of performing live on a VALORANT stage, and you should never give up on your dreams because anything is possible.