With over two decades in the esports scene, EG potter believes NA has established itself as a dominant force and deserves to be among the best regions.
Christine “potter” Chi has been leading Evil Geniuses (EG) rosters for years as one of the most accomplished woman head coaches in the world. In the 2026 season, she now has a new challenge with a revamped roster in what seems to be one of the most competitive seasons in VCT Americas 2026.
In an interview with esports.gg, the EG head coach reflected on the team’s Kickoff performance, C0M’s return as the new in-game leader, recent meta updates, the growth of the North American region, and her journey into building a career in esports.
VCT Americas 2026 Kickoff experience: New team, new identity
Evil Geniuses entered the 2026 season with a revamped roster, retaining only Phat “supamen” Lee from the previous lineup. For the head coach, potter, the changes bring fresh perspectives and new approaches, especially as the game continues to evolve. However, the biggest challenge during Kickoff has been failing to capitalize on the team’s momentum.
“VALORANT is a momentum-based game, and we constantly found ourselves not capitalizing on it when we had a hot start and then when we had to claw our way back after a 0-4,” potter explained. “Being able to experience the stage together with this new team, with a Brazilian player who could barely speak English, a new in-game leader, and a group of young players, was invaluable. It gave us a real sense of how special this roster can be.”
C0M returns to EG as the in-game leader
The 2023 season marked the golden era of Evil Geniuses. While the team wasn’t particularly dominant regionally, they defied expectations on the international stage.
After finishing second at Masters Tokyo, they completed their redemption run at Champions 2023, winning the tournament for the first time in the organization’s history. It also marked the second time a VCT Americas team claimed the title, following LOUD in 2022. After their championship run, only Alexander “jawgemo” Mor remained on the roster for the 2024 season.
Corbin “C0M” Lee moved to Leviatán, where he went on to win his first VCT Americas title in Stage 2. However, that level of firepower didn’t carry through the following events and into the next season, leading him to explore his options at the end of 2025. It was then that C0M returned to Evil Geniuses, aiming to chase another title with the organization.
“C0M is flourishig and this is exactly what he was meant to do. He is a natural leader,” potter described. “He was already doing leadership things within the team, but without the title. It usually comes with its own baggage and pressure, but it really does not change much on a day-to-day basis in the server.”
For EG potter, it’s all about building greater maturity and experience within the roster. “C0M is already a world champion. Now it’s about coming back together, relearning how we play with each other, sharing what we’ve learned while we’ve been apart, and putting it all together.”
Will Miks be viable in the competitive scene? EG potter says, probably!
“In this meta, any agent is viable,” the head coach answered. “Miks is a confusing agent because he seems like he is going through an identity crisis. Riot wants him to be a sentinel, a controller, and an initiator, all at the same time.”
If players have an idea and feel inspired by an agent’s potential, they might still bring it into a competitive setting. “I was watching a Challengers match on Lotus with Miks, and the player was absolutely frying, so it’s really cool to see how, in VALORANT, a great idea can turn into something special when players are willing to try it.”
However, in VCT Americas 2026: Stage 1, EG potter does not see him being picked, but everything is possible. On the other side, the head coach believes the nerfs to duelists were balanced. “For Waylay lovers and for Waylay haters, the nerf was great. It’s micro enough that it won’t change much for most teams, but they can still run her if they want. The double duelist meta can also be adapted to other agents besides her,” she said.
North American glory
“I’ve been in first-person shooters for so long, and NA was never really on top, so it’s been great to finally see more success in VALORANT,” says potter.
“There’s been a lot of talk about APAC being the best region. They’re incredible, no doubt, but the numbers don’t lie. NA has won the most and lifted the most trophies. And no matter how often people say the Masters is a big title, every team and player is ultimately aiming for Champions. At the end of the year, that’s the trophy everyone truly wants. NA is on top, and we deserve to be here,” she added.
The biggest challenges of an esports career
EG potter is the only woman in the head coach position in Tier 1. At the same time, she is also the only one to ever win a title. In a scenario where women don’t often have a space in the main tier, potter believes things have started to change, slowly.
“Esports is already an unforgiving space as it is. It’s really challenging to stay in the scene long enough to gain experience,” she explained. “I was crazy enough and obsessed enough to stay for this long, but I was lucky to have a family that supported me. Male or female, it would take a very special person to sustain it and stay in the scenario long enough to do it. Right now, I think that you don’t need 20 years like me to reach further, but the environment is tough. I would say things have changed, but at the same time, there is always more that we can do.”
On the other side, potter explains that one of the hardest challenges in esports is convincing parents that it can be a legitimate career path. “It’s hard to convince your parents that this is a career worth pursuing, and to bring that idea to your support system, that this is more than just pixels, and actually a dream worth chasing, it’s very difficult.”
Evil Geniuses returns on April 11 to play against 100 Thieves on the VCT Americas 2026: Stage 1. You can watch all the matches on the VCT Americas official Twitch and YouTube channels.