Art Comments On Being benched From DetonatioN FocusMe’s Roster For VCT Pacific Stage 2

DetonatioN FocusMe announced roster changes ahead of the 2025 VCT Pacific Stage 2, with Tomonori "SSeeS" Okimura replacing Koki "Art" Kagam in the starting lineup. After being benched, the Japanese player shared a brief statement addressing the team's decision and the reasons behind it.

After DFM announced on social media, Art said in his post that the decision to bench him came after a poor showing in VCT Pacific 2025 Stage 1. He reflected on the organisation's expectations and accepted his role in the team's struggles.

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Disappointing Results in Stage 1 Led To DFM's Roster Changes

"Following the team's direction and reflecting on our results in Stage 1, we realised it would be difficult to keep winning with the way we had been playing, and that we needed to introduce some changes before heading into Stage 2," Art wrote in his post.

According to Art, the meta shift and some mindset issues affected his performance during VCT Pacific Stage 1, leading to one of his worst individual showings. This drop in level directly impacted DetonatioN FocusMe's overall performance, with his role as IGL marked by inconsistent decisions. The Japanese squad finished the stage winless, with a 0‑5 record and placed 11th–12th overall.

As an IGL, I feel a lot of frustration and regret, but I’m honestly accepting where I stand right now and will keep practising to seize any opportunity that comes my way.

Art joined DetonatioN FocusMe in October 2024 ahead of their VCT Pacific debut, but struggled to find success with the team, earning just three wins throughout the previous season. Despite the changes, the player encouraged fans to continue supporting DFM in Stage 2.

DetonatioN FocusMe Opens VCT Pacific Stage 2 With A Strong Start

The changes in DetonatioN FocusMe's starting roster are already showing results, as the team kicked off VCT Pacific Stage 2 with a win over ZETA DIVISION on Day 1. SSeeS, who had previously appeared with the main roster as a substitute for Koki "gyen" Nakamura at the VALORANT Radiant Asia Invitational, delivered a solid performance as a controller in a historic series for teammate Ibuki "Meiy" Seki. The Japanese duelist set the all-time VCT record for ACS in a single map, posting a 509 ACS on Icebox as DFM secured a 13–7 victory.