G2 Esports has announced Andrej ‘babybay’ Francisty as a stand-in for Nathan ‘leaf’ Orf for the start of VCT Americas Stage 2.
Babybay is a former Overwatch pro player who had a short competitive run on FaZe Clan’s VALORANT before fully transitioning to esports casting. Now, he will be competing with G2 Esports, achieving one of his dreams.
G2 confirmed babybay’s signing earlier today, one day after the North American esports organisation shared that its star sentinel player, leaf, will not join the team for the VCT Americas Stage 2 kickoff.
On July 5th, G2 had already revealed that leaf could not compete at the Esports World Cup due to a medical condition. The squad’s assistant coach Peter ‘shhhack’ Belej, was subbed in for the duration of the tournament, which saw G2’s early elimination in the Group Stage.
Former Counter-Strike athlete leaf has been a cornerstone of the G2 VALORANT roster since his signing in October 2023. Prior to his time with G2, leaf spent over two years competing for fellow North American organisation Cloud9.
Widely acknowledged for his excellent game sense and consistency, leaf has helped his current team earn both regional trophies this year and reach top-four at three Masters events. However, an international trophy still eludes him.
Who is Leaf’s Stand-in For VCT Americas Stage 2?
Babybay is a veteran in the VALORANT esports scene who picked up the game after its release in 2020. For North American esports organisation, FaZe Clan, he competed in several early-day VALORANT tournaments as well as the regional Challengers circuit later on.
In 2021, he secured second place at the VCT North America Stage 1 Masters in the Grand Final against Sentinels. Two years later, however, babybay retired from competitive play to focus on his new role as an esports commentator and analyst.
Since then, he has established himself as part of VCT Americas’ on-air talent crew, while also working international tournaments such as VALORANT Champions 2023/24 and Masters Shanghai 2024.
Interestingly, babybay has previously competed in several titles, including Crossfire and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. However, he is best known for his Overwatch career, representing the likes of San Francisco Shock and Atlanta Reign. Babybay’s most notable competitive achievement throughout his four years in Overwatch is a second-place finish in the Overwatch League 2019 – Stage 1 Playoffs.
Ahead of his return to pro play on July 20th, baybybay commented: “I always said I wanted to play on stage for VALORANT and three years later G2 Esports blessed me with the opportunity to. Never give up on your dreams, you can truly achieve anything in this life.”
