aspas Leaves LOUD in Search of New Challenge

After months of speculation, LOUD and Erick “aspas” Santos have officially announced their separation

Erick “Aspas” Santos and LOUD have officially decided to go their separate ways, marking the end of a successful partnership that lasted for more than a year. 

Hoje é dia de nos despedirmos do @aspaszin!

Conquistamos o mundo juntos e agora nossos caminhos se separam. Agradecemos muito e desejamos tudo de bom pra ti, aspinhas!

Nos vemos por aí, se cuida! 💚 pic.twitter.com/hsxlkKh4uD

— LOUD 🇧🇷 (@LOUDgg) October 8, 2023

Aspas Leaves LOUD Following a Successful Stint

In February 2022, Erick “Aspas” Santos embarked on an incredible journey with LOUD, wearing the iconic green jersey and immediately making waves in the Brazilian esports scene. With Aspas leading the charge, the team quickly established themselves as a force to be reckoned with, decimating their competition and securing their spot in the highly anticipated Masters: Reykjavik.

Masters: Reykjavik was a pivotal moment in LOUD's journey, and the team did not disappoint. They delivered an awe-inspiring performance, showcasing their skill, strategy, and resilience throughout the tournament. In a fiercely contested final showdown against OpTic Gaming, the Brazilian side came tantalizingly close to securing the championship but ultimately settled for a well-deserved second-place finish.

Their journey was not without its challenges, nonetheless. The team faced a setback when they participated in Masters: Copenhagen, experiencing a rough patch with no victories to their name. This momentary stumble, though disheartening, proved to be a mere blip on their journey to greatness.

Photo Credit: FirstSportz

Aspas and the rest of the crew’s true mettle was on full display when they returned to the international stage, and this time, it was a story of redemption and triumph. In a poetic twist of fate, they found themselves facing OpTic Gaming once again, this time in the grand final at Istanbul's Champions. The stage was set for an epic rematch, and LOUD rose to the occasion by clinching Brazil's first-ever international esports trophy.

Wrapping up a remarkable first year together as a roster, aspas, Felipe “Less” de Loyola, and Matias “saadhak” Delipetro decided to stick together as a unit for the impending LOCK//IN event. Concurrently, Cauan “cauanzin” Pereira and Arthur “tuyz” Andrade were added to the team. Despite these changes to their lineup, the freshly crowned Istanbul Champions continued to excel on their home turf and, to the raucous applause of the Brazilian fans, advanced to the grand finals of LOCK//IN. There, they faced FNATIC in a grueling five-map series and narrowly missed out on victory.

With their sights firmly set on Masters: Tokyo, LOUD demonstrated their dominance in the Americas League, earning themselves a spot in Japan for their upcoming encounters. Despite their strategic choice to bypass the group stage, the Brazilian juggernaut faced formidable challenges in Evil Geniuses and EDward Gaming, enduring losses that only fueled their desire for redemption in the forthcoming Champions tournament.

Following a turbulent run in Group D's challenging matchups, LOUD secured their spot in the playoffs by effectively eliminating two of EMEA's representatives, Team Liquid and Natus Vincere.

After being relegated to the lower bracket due to a loss against the grand finalists, Paper Rex, LOUD's unyielding Brazilian spirit drove them to fight back. They proceeded to eliminate both EDward Gaming and FNATIC, earning their place in the lower final against Evil Geniuses. Nevertheless, their fans were left heartbroken once more when their attempted reverse sweep fell short, resulting in North America's triumph on home soil.

What’s Next for Aspas?

Following the end of his season, aspas subsequently revealed his intentions to actively pursue fresh opportunities beyond his tenure with LOUD once his contract ran its course. He dropped a subtle hint about an international signing by mentioning his proficiency in both English and Portuguese.

LOUD Current Roster 

After aspas’ departure, the LOUD roster currently looks like this:

• Matias “saadhak” Delipetro

• Felipe “Less” de Loyola

• Arthur “tuyz” Andrade

• Cauan “cauanzin” Pereira

• Daniel “fRoD” Montaner (Head Coach)

• Jordan “stkJ” Nunes (Assistant Coach)