The Los Angeles Gladiators beefed up their roster and made Overwatch League history on Tuesday by acquiring Gia Huy "MirroR" Trinh from Uprising Academy in a move both sides announced via Twitter. If approved by the league, the deal would make MirroR the first Vietnamese pro player in the Overwatch League.
Neither side announced what the Gladiators sent Uprising in exchange for MirroR.
The 18-year-old joined Uprising Academy -- the feeder squad for the Boston Uprising, the competitive OWL outfit -- prior to the Contenders Trials for 2019 Season 2. He went 7-0 in the trials to help the team qualify for Contenders 2019 Season 2.
"We're thankful for MirroR's hard work throughout his time with the team," Uprising Academy general manager Andrew "AndrewKendo" Fiori said in a statement. "He is very deserving of this opportunity, and we hope to see him succeed in the OWL with the Gladiators next season."
The Gladiators lso added support player Nolan "Paintbrush" Edwards to their roster on Wednesday.
He tweeted in response to the news, "more than excited to join @LAGladiators for 2020 Keep your eyes on us because the boys are ready to put in work #ShieldsUP"
Paintbrush began last season with Mayhem Academy, the second-tier affiliate of the Florida Mayhem. However, the parent club released him and the rest of its roster in May when the academy club was scrapped.
Paintbrush then competed for Revival in Overwatch Contenders Season 2 during the summer.
Meanwhile, the fallout from the Los Angeles Valiant's steep fall in the 2019 Overwatch League continued Tuesday, as the squad announced the release of main tank Russell "FCTFCTN" Campbell.
The Valiant posted on their Twitter account, "We want to thank (FCTFCTN) for his contributions in our season turnaround and wish him the best moving forward in his career."
FCTFCTN tweeted in response to the announcement, "Thank you for everything Valiant fam, it's been a pleasure. On to whatever comes next!"
The Valiant originally acquired FCTFCTN from Mayhem Academy -- the feeder program for the Florida Mayhem -- in May, part of a four-player trade in which the Valiant received three players in exchange for tank Pan Seung "Fate" Koo.
The Valiant finished second in the regular season and fourth in the playoffs in the OWL's inaugural season, 2018. But last season, the team dropped to 13th in the regular season, the first side to miss out on the play-in round.
The move is the latest in an offseason of roster turnover for the Valiant. The team cut ties with DPS player Brady "Agilities" Girardi, off-tank Indy "SPACE" Halpern, and flex support Park "KariV" Young-seo in October.
Overwatch League Season 3 begins on Feb. 8. The Valiant play the final match of opening day, against the Dallas Fuel.
--Field Level Media