Gen.G Signs MaKo and Dambi for 2027 VALORANT Roster

Gen.G has signed Kim “MaKo” Myeong-gwan and Lee “Dambi” Hyuk-kyu for its 2027 VALORANT roster, the South Korean organization announced Friday, Nov. 6. Kim “Karon” Won-tae will remain with the team, leaving four confirmed starters and one open position.

The players were introduced during a livestream hosted by Kim “t3xture” Na-ra on SOOP. The announcements came after Gen.G failed to qualify for an international tournament during the 2026 season.

Dambi joins Gen.G after winning Masters Santiago 2026 with Nongshim RedForce. Nongshim defeated Paper Rex 3-0 in the grand final, and Dambi was named the tournament’s MVP. He became known for his aggressive Neon play and frequent use of the Judge, while expanding his agent pool during the season.

Dambi began competing in Premier before winning Ascension with the Sin Prisa Gaming core. He later joined Nongshim RedForce and helped the team win its first international title. In August, he also helped Nongshim defeat Gen.G 2-1 in the VCT Pacific Stage 2 playoffs.

MaKo is leaving DRX after five years with the organization and its predecessor, Vision Strikers. He started his professional career with Vision Strikers in 2021 and stayed with the lineup after it became DRX in 2022.

MaKo competed at eight international tournaments during that period. DRX finished third at VALORANT Champions in 2022 and 2025, and won VCT Pacific Kickoff 2025. MaKo was named Controller of the Year in 2023 and 2025. He also served as DRX’s in-game leader at different points.

Gen.G’s confirmed lineup consists of MaKo, Dambi, Karon and t3xture. The organization has yet to name its fifth starter or in-game leader. During the livestream, t3xture said the team was trialing players for the remaining position.

MaKo and Karon have primarily played controller agents, while Dambi and t3xture are best known as duelists. Gen.G has not confirmed whether any of them will change roles in 2027.

The roster announcements came days after Ha “Ash” Hyun-cheol, Kim “Efina” Nak-yeon and coach Jung “peri” Beom-gi departed on Nov. 3. Gen.G retained its place in the VCT Pacific partnership cycle for 2027 and 2028. DRX and Nongshim RedForce were not selected for the new cycle.

Gen.G finished the 2026 VCT Pacific Stage 2 group stage with a 5-0 record. It then lost to Nongshim RedForce and T1 in the playoffs and missed the international events that followed. Karon and t3xture were part of Gen.G’s Masters Shanghai 2024 championship-winning lineup.

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Reviewed and fact-checked by Alex Panasenko on November 6.