In a surprising move, G2 Esports has removed Jonah “JonahP” Pulice from its active VALORANT roster. The decision comes as part of the organization’s roster rebuild process for VCT 2026, which is set to start in January.
According to G2’s official announcement on X, JonahP is the only player departing the roster, while Trent “trent” Cairns, Jacob “valyn” Batio, Alexander “jawgemo” Mor, and Nathan “leaf” Orf will remain with the team for the upcoming pro VALORANT season.
JonahP’s replacement hasn’t been announced yet, but the organization has reportedly been trialing players for the spot.
A key member of the Ascension-winning Ex-The Guard roster, JonahP had joined G2 Esports—alongside trent, valyn, and Michael “neT” Bernet—after The Guard failed to meet Riot’s requirements for the partnership program.
G2 had its own turbulent history with the system as well. Riot rejected the organization’s partnership application during the program’s inaugural year in 2022. Signing four of The Guard’s players secured G2 a slot in VCT Americas, giving both the players and the organization a second chance to compete at the highest tier of VALORANT esports.
With neT departing the roster during the 2024 season, JonahP was one of only three core The Guard members left on G2. Interestingly, he’s been a crucial contributor to the team’s success in VCT 2025, which included winning regional three-peat championships and securing strong finishes across other tournaments. Their performance at the VALORANT Champions Paris was a bit underwhelming, but for some people in the VALORANT community, it certainly doesn’t justify JonahP’s removal, considering he’s still one of the best flex players in the Americas region.
Interestingly, rumors about JonahP’s departure popped up a week ago, with him no longer participating in G2’s scrims—and the 25-year-old had a pretty suspenseful response to the gossip. “Don’t you worry, I’ll tell you guys the whole story,” his X post from Nov. 7 reads, indicating there’s more to this story than just a simple roster revamp.
JonahP’s girlfriend, Kelly, also took the opportunity to highlight how the situation was allegedly mishandled. “Roster changes are inevitable. Movement is not what makes this so sad. I’ve known these players & staff & their families for 4 years, & I’m crying daily bc due to how shameful the process was. We barely heard from anyone. Jaw (jawgemo) was the single person to reach out w genuine compassion,” she wrote in an X post after the announcement.
Thankfully, given how in-demand a talented initiator-flex is in this scene, on top of his experience with one of the world’s best teams, it’s inevitable that JonahP will be signed by a major organization sooner or later. Well, we still have to wait for his side of the story to know what really happened with this shocking roster move.
