One player from each team to look out for at VCT Champions 2023

Some of the biggest names in the game to look out for at VCT Champions 2023.

VCT Champions 2023 is just a few days away as 16 of the best teams in the world will descend upon Los Angeles from August 6 - 26 to see who will lift the coveted title this season. Both the Shrine Expo Hall and KIA Forum will play host to an immense amount of talent in VALORANT, all of whom will be vying for the top spot and the bragging rights that come with it.

LOUD will be heading into the tournament as the reigning champions with something to prove after a less-than-satisfactory performance at VCT Masters Tokyo. However, Fnatic is another team that many should look out for with the recent Masters Tokyo champions hoping to start a dynasty by taking all three VCT LANs in its first year as a franchised league.

With so much on the line, this year's VCT Champions is building to be its best one yet. And with that, we decided to take a look at one player from each team to look out for at VCT Champions 2023.

 

Bilibili Gaming

Arguably China's second-best team at the moment, Bilibili Gaming's VALORANT division only came into fruition just six months ago and they're already attending their very first VCT Champions. With this being the team's debut at a VCT LAN, it will be interesting to see what they bring to the table. Wang "whzy" Hao Zhe will be one of the key members of the BLG squad who will be looking to make a difference in Group C.

During BLG's second-place finish at the VCT China qualifiers, whzy was the difference maker in all three of BLG's victories, being voted the MVP in all three of those games as well. He would go on to rack up the most kills in all three of BIG's wins, putting the team on his back on multiple occasions to bring them to LA.

 

DRX

DRX has been a staple in the VCT last the 2022 season with fifth/sixth place finishes at both Masters in Reykjavík and Copenhagen. DRX also managed a third-place finish at Champions last season, which is a feat the team should be hoping to build on this year. DRX has been a top-eight team so far this season with a third/fourth place finish at LOCK//IN followed by a seventh/eighth place end during Masters Tokyo. They also came second to Paper Rex in the VCT Pacific League.

And while DRX has been a solid team all season with talented individuals, Min "Rb" Gu-Sang will be one of the players to look out for at VCT Champions. Rb has been one of DRX's more underrated performers, often overshadowed by his other teammates. In the five games DRX played during Masters Tokyo, Rb was easily the team's second-best player, who has always been a stable and consistent member of the team.

 

EDward Gaming

Quite possibly one of the dark horses of the tournament, EDward Gaming will be looking to make another great impression on the world stage. Despite going out in the first round of the LOCK//IN, EDG was able to pick themselves back up with a top-six finish at Masters Tokyo, which was only the team's third international LAN. They also dominated the VCT China qualifiers in exceptional fashion, ensuring that they are the number one seed coming out of the Far East.

And at the helm of the talented EDG squad is Yongkang "ZmjjKK" Zheng, who took the world by storm with his performances at Tokyo. Being the team's main user of the Operator, ZmjjKK's unique playstyle of peeking and fragging has made EDG to be a force to be reckoned with in the last few months. His performances against the likes of Paper Rex, LOUD, and NAVI will go down as some of the more memorable moments in his career so far.

 

Evil Geniuses

Boasting one of the biggest rosters in the VCT, Evil Geniuses will head into Champions as one of the favourites to make it to the next rounds. Aside from a second-round exit at LOCK//IN, EG has widely been a top-three team in the world this season. Despite their grand final loss against Fnatic at Masters Tokyo, EG still boasts plenty of potential in their lineup.

And with so much talent at their disposal, one of the players that many will keep an eye out for is Ethan "Ethan" Arnold. He was arguably the team's best player in the grand finals, even if EG got swept 3-0. A calming presence on the battlefield with the ability to come in clutch when it matters, Ethan will be one of the first few names on any team's list to look out for.

 

Fnatic

Arguably the best team in the world at the moment, Fnatic are on the cusp of being the first team in VCT history to claim the holy trinity of titles. Having already lifted the LOCK//IN and Masters Tokyo trophies, there is just one more left for Fnatic to start its dynasty in the VCT. While there only lack the EMEA League title, the boys in orange will be more than pleased to be the only team to lift all three international VCT LAN titles.

While Fnatic does boast one of the best squads in the world, it all comes down to the team's in-game leader, Jake "Boaster" Howlett. Having already led his team through an insane 3-11 comeback against LOUD in the LOCK//IN as well as a 3-0 sweep against EG during the Masters Tokyo, many eyes will be on Boaster to once again lead the team to the promised land. While he isn't the flashiest player on Fnatic, Boaster's consistency with agents like Brimstone, Omen, and Astra makes him one of the best IGLs in today's competitive scene.

 

FunPlus Phoenix

FunPlus Phoenix can boast as being one of seven organisations that have won a VCT Masters title. However, that was last season when FPX was competing in the EMEA. Having moved their base back to the mainland after acquiring partnership status, FPX's transition to an all-Chinese squad has not been as fruitful as its predecessors with a first-round exit at LOCK//IN earlier this year. FPX also finished fourth at both acts of the FGC VALORANT Invitational alongside being the third seed after the VCT China qualifiers.

Many may not predict FPX to go very far but the team still has plenty of talent and one of those to watch out for will be Huang "Yuicaw" Yung-chieh. His signature agents like Jett and Raze were a joy to watch during the VCT China qualifiers, particularly in matches against Tyloo and Weibo Gaming. Even though FPX lost to BLG in the lower bracket finals, Yuicaw's performances in the first, third, and fourth maps of the series was ensure he becomes one to look out for in the future.

 

FUT Esports

Most probably the third-best team in the VCT EMEA League, FUT Esports' inclusion at Champions this year is no fluke as the team has managed to secure decent finishes in two of the VCT international LANs this season. FUT exited the LOCK//IN in the second round, followed by a third-place finish in the EMEA League, and a group-stage exit at Masters Tokyo.

Konur "qw1" Şahin will be one to keep an eye on from the all-Turkish squad. He was arguably the team's best player in their do-or-die series against DRX in Tokyo a few months back, especially during the first map on Bind with his Raze, getting eight first kills with zero first deaths to boot.

 

Giants

Coming through the VCT EMEA last-chance qualifier, Giants should not be a team to look down upon as they went through the entire LCQ undefeated. And in their way were some formidable teams like Karmine Corp, KOI, and even NAVI. While they did only finish in fifth/sixth during the EMEA League, Giants did manage to at least exit LOCK//IN in the second round and even took a map off of NRG.

And at the forefront of Giants' domination during the LCQ had plenty to do with Žygimantas "nukkye" Chmieliauskas. His usage of Omen during the LCQ grand finals was a thing of beauty for the controller agent. He was also more than adept on sentinel agents like Killjoy and Cypher, which was also crucial in the Giants' run during the LCQ.

 

KRÜ Esports

Making their journey from the Americas LCQ, KRÜ Esports has managed to salvage their season after an incredible run. This includes winning all of their matches from the very first round until the grand finals, which included doing the double over Leviatán. This came after an underwhelming season from the Argentinian organisation, which included finishing last in the Americas League. However, all is okay as this is KRÜ's third straight appearance at Champions.

And having been with the team since 2021, Angelo "keznit" Mori will be the main focus of the squad. Throughout the team's undefeated run in the LCQ, keznit was the main focal point with his plays on Killjoy and Jett. He was easily KRÜ's best player during the LCQ and the team will be looking to him once more to make the plays happen.

 

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LOUD

Despite being the reigning VCT Champions as well as the Americas League winners, LOUD's season up to Champions has been largely inconsistent, due in part to the team's most recent performances at Masters Tokyo. A top-eight finish is unheard of for a squad of LOUD's quality. Their last poor showing at an international VCT tournament was at the Stage 2 Masters in Copenhagen back in 2022.

But while LOUD is still trying to find the right consistency for its squad, they can rely on Erick "aspas" Santos to bring the team forward. Even with LOUD losing both games at Tokyo, aspas was the best player in each series, trying his best to bring his team forward. With the transfer rumours swirling around him and his current contract with LOUD, this will also be the perfect platform for him to showcase the top-tier gameplay he's known for.

 

Natus Vincere

With four Masters winners as well as a 2021 VCT Champion, NAVI's roster on paper would be one of the finest in professional VALORANT. However, that has not been the case this season, especially after a strong start at LOCK//IN with a top-four finish. But as the year went on, NAVI's performances would slowly start to dip. Even with another top-four placement in the EMEA League, their Masters Tokyo showing was far from ideal.

Be that as it may, NAVI does boast a world champion IGL in their midst in the form of Mehmet Yağız "cNed" İpek. He led Acend to victory in the first-ever VCT Champions back in 2021 and is still in the running to be the first two-time holder. His Jett and Neon will be crucial in NAVI's run at Champions for them to go further than when their Tokyo performance.

 

NRG

NRG can boast a stellar squad of superstars with four of the five starting members being Masters winners. However, ever since signing with the North American squad, NRG has not been able to put the squad's potential to full use. Their season-long fued with LOUD saw them come second-best during LOCK//IN and at the VCT Americas League grand finals.

But even with a squad filled with title-winning contenders, it is Sam "s0m" Oh that many will want to keep an eye out for. While he did fail to clutch up against Paper Rex in Tokyo during the second last round of OT in the first game, s0m has arguably been NRG's best player to date due to his versatility with multiple agents.

 

Paper Rex

The VCT Pacific champions known as Paper Rex have made a great comeback this season after a stuttering start earlier in the year. Despite not going far at LOCK//IN, PRX still managed a reverse comeback against DRX in the Pacific League grand finals to head to Masters Tokyo, where they ended in third place with a stand-in. Their unpredictability coupled with a tendency to throw just because PRX will surely be one of the favourites in the tournament.

And one name that will be on many lips is Ilya "something" Petrov, the grand finals MVP of the Pacific League, who will be making his official VCT international LAN debut. Having missed Masters Tokyo due to visa issues, many fans rejoiced when he announced he will be travelling to LA for Champions. With this being his official debut for PRX on the international stage, it will be interesting to see what something brings to the table, especially if it's his Reyna or Jett.

 

Team Liquid

As the second seed coming from the EMEA, Team Liquid has long been seen as the region's gatekeeper. Their impressive regional performances have long been the standard, which they, unfortunately, have not been able to replicate on the international stage. Even though Liquid is the only team to defeat Fnatic in a grand final this season, they haven't been anywhere near as impressive, especially during Masters Tokyo with only a top-six finish.

Even with a solid team, Liquid will be hoping that the likes of Ayaz "nAts" Akhmetshin will be locked in for Champions. The young Russian starlet has arguably been Liquid's best player in recent months, especially during Masters Tokyo with Liquid's three-game run in the tournament. He's known for his insane entry fragging as well as one-versus-one fights.

 

T1

Being the second of two South Korean teams from the VCT Pacific just goes to show how fast the country has developed when it comes to esports. T1's VALORANT squad has easily been the third-best team in the region, right behind fellow countrymen DRX and Paper Rex. However, T1's international performances haven't done them any favours; with a group stage exit at Tokyo along with a first-round defeat at LOCK//IN, T1 has to step their game up as Champions.

Jung-woo "Sayaplayer" Ha is one such player who will be looking to step up and make his team known. While T1 is already a well-established name in esports, its VALORANT roster hasn't fully impressed in its first full season in a partnership league. Sayaplayer has also been inconsistent at best, putting on a stellar show against EDG in Tokyo. Sadly, the same couldn't be said in their rematch when it mattered most.

 

ZETA DIVISION

 

Zeta Division is the only Japanese team at VCT Champions once again and will be hoping to go further than their group stage exit last season this time. They haven't been where they would like to be this season after an early exit at LOCK//IN followed by a mid-table finish during the Pacific League. But when it mattered most during the Pacific LCQ, ZETA was able to overcome the likes of Rex Regum Qeon as well as defeating Team Secret twice.

And team captain and IGL Koji "Laz" Ushida will be hoping to make an impression with his Chamber on the main stage once more. He is also known for his Cypher and Viper but it is his Chamber that has garnered him somewhat of a cult following due to his insane plays on the agent.