Shimmer reforms as Sakura contracts expire

Lucy "empathy" Verkaik has informed Dust2.us that Shimmer has reformed following the expiration of the team's contracts with Sakura. Shimmer had previously signed new contracts with Sakura in January 2026, however Dust2.us understands that these contracts were short-term and that the two parties opted not to renew them for a second time.

As a result, Shimmer head back into free agency at a difficult time for Impact teams in North America. The demise of the ESL Impact League last year effectively marked the end of a dedicated women's scene in North America, leaving Shimmer in a difficult position as they have struggled to find their place in the scene.

Amidst this uncertainty, shimmer have also had to contend with multiple roster changes as the team's star AWPer, Lydia "Fawx" Dalton, left the team in January while Raven "raven" Sol was cut in February and coach Victor "Ink" Rozvora left Sakura in early March.

All of this has culminated in a poor start to the year for Shimmer, with the team sitting at a 5-22 record on maps on HLTV while their sole win came against FlyQuest RED.

One positive is that Shimmer have completed their search for a new fifth, with the team bringing Ava "AVA174" Dunn into the lineup after standing in for the squad on multiple occasions.

Shimmer are now:

• Lucy "empathy" Verkaik

• Wrenna "Stx" Trampel

• Sylvie "Serendipity" Splaver

• Alice "alicerawr" Hewitt

• Ava "AVA174" Dunn

Shimmer will play their first match under the revived tag tonight at 09:00PM in the third ESL Challenger League Season 51 Cup.