NRG announces VALORANT academy program in partnership with Maryville University

NRG, fresh off their triumphant 2025 VALORANT Champions victory, has announced the launch of NRG Academy, a comprehensive development program designed to cultivate North America’s next generation of elite VALORANT talent. The initiative, built in partnership with Maryville University, will compete in the VALORANT Challengers League (VCL) beginning January 19, 2026.

Building Pathways for the Next Generation

The academy program represents NRG’s commitment to investing in grassroots talent development following their championship success. The organization believes that winning at the highest level carries a responsibility to create genuine opportunities for aspiring professionals pursuing the same competitive dream. NRG Academy aims to provide a professional-standard training environment with internal development resources and competitive opportunities through the Challengers circuit. The program focuses on long-term player growth rather than quick results, establishing infrastructure that mirrors the standards of their championship-winning main roster.

The Maryville Partnership

A cornerstone of the NRG Academy initiative is addressing a critical challenge facing aspiring professionals: the difficult choice between committing fully to competitive play and pursuing higher education. Through their partnership with Maryville University, one of North America’s most established collegiate esports programs, NRG is creating a structure that eliminates this either-or decision.

Maryville University brings significant credibility to the partnership. The institution has established itself as a powerhouse in collegiate esports, with their VALORANT program achieving notable success in the collegiate ecosystem. The university’s esports program provides the academic framework necessary to support student-athletes pursuing both educational and competitive goals simultaneously. Eligible players joining NRG Academy will have the option to attend Maryville University under scholarship (subject to eligibility and admissions requirements). This structure allows participants to earn a degree while training in a high-performance environment and competing at the professional level through the Challengers circuit.

https://t.co/FHmJlHzI62

— NRG (@NRGgg) January 13, 2026

The Inaugural NRG Academy Roster

NRG Academy will enter VALORANT Challengers competition with a roster combining emerging talent and experienced leadership:

• Adam “Ange” Milian
• Caide “chloric” Heaton
• Tanner “geeza” McGhee
• Austin “RENZ” Dickman
• Yahya “shondex” Amani
• Coach: Matthew “mCe” Elmore

The coaching appointment of mCe adds significant credibility to the program, since he was the coach when The Guard (now G2 Esports) won North America’s first Ascension tournament. NRG’s main VALORANT roster captured the 2025 VALORANT Champions title, cementing their status as one of the elite organizations in the global VALORANT ecosystem. Their victory represented the culmination of strategic roster building and world-class coaching, elements they now seek to replicate at the academy level. The organizational infrastructure that supported their championship run will be extended to support emerging talent in the Challengers circuit.

Setting a New Standard

The NRG Academy program represents an evolving approach to talent development in North American VALORANT. By combining professional-level training, meaningful competition in the Challengers circuit, and educational opportunities through Maryville University, the program addresses multiple barriers that have historically prevented talented players from fully committing to professional aspirations.

As the Challengers circuit serves as the primary pathway to franchised VCT competition, NRG Academy positions itself as a bridge between collegiate and amateur play and the professional ecosystem. The program’s launch signals NRG’s long-term investment in North American VALORANT and their commitment to building sustainable talent pipelines. With competition beginning January 19, 2026, NRG Academy will immediately test their model against other Challengers organizations, working to develop the next generation of champions while providing educational opportunities that extend beyond competitive gaming careers.