Heavy is the Crown: VCT Champions 2023 Ranked Tier List for All 16 Teams
VCT Champions 2023 is nearly upon us, and excitement is reaching a fever pitch for Valorant’s annual celebration of the best in the world. This is the biggest tournament in the Valorant competitive circuit, and the trophy represents the culmination of every player’s ultimate dream. Without further ado, let us count down together the 16 teams that will be attending Champions 2023.
The Unproven
First up, we have the unproven. They are the teams who have yet to show sincere promise at the highest level of competition but have all the same earned their spot in Valorant’s most elite competition.
[16] FunPlus Phoenix
FunPlus Phoenix debuted once before at the beginning of the year. Faithful fans will remember their match at LOCK//IN against Karmine Corp. However, there we saw them moments after their initial birth. Now, months later into their development, and they have evolved into a fierce predator who claimed third place ahead of teams like Tyloo and Team Weibo.
[15] Bilibili Gaming
Perhaps the most unknown wildcard team, Bilibili will enter Champions 2023 as the only team without a single player having played an international tournament. With no prior international experience, these players will be coming in hot off their impressive China Qualifiers run, in which their only massive competition came in the form of top China seed, EDward Gaming.
The Dark Horses
Next up, the Dark Horses. This popular term typically refers to underdog teams, teams whom very little expectation is placed on them to perform; but has the immense potential to completely take over the tournament.
[14] ZETA Division
The darlings of Japan come into this tournament off of an incredible Last Chance Qualifier run. After taking down RRQ, they proceeded to break Filipino hearts everywhere with back-to-back victories against Team Secret in the Upper Bracket and Grand Finals. ZETA has typically been a middle of the pack team; however, their one asterisk is their 2022 Reykjavik run. If they can recapture that magic, all bets are off.
[13] KRÜ Esports
If ZETA’s run was the dream run, KRÜ’s was potentially the blindside of the millennium. No one saw them coming in the LCQ as they went on 5 series winstreak to win the qualifier undefeated. Names like Leviatán or Cloud9 held a lot more promise, but KRÜ ended up showing everyone that they were still a force just like in 2022.
[12] Giants
If there was a team that was attempting to play perfect Valorant, it would probably be Fnatic right? Well Giants are making a strong case for themselves with a very similar style of play. Methodical, calculated, and a strong roster of talent, their run through the EMEA LCQ was immaculate to say the least.
[11] T1
T1, the perennial darlings of South Korea and champions in League of Legends. Well, this is a different game, and they are still smashing it. Their respectable run in Masters Tokyo included clashes against NRG and EDG. They were close to making playoffs and have showed so much growth, living up to the potential we recognized in them at the start of the year.
[10] FUT Esports
We can chalk up their Masters performance at Tokyo to a little case of the ‘yips.’ FUT have consistently shown themselves as one of EMEA’s top prospects and a contender for a top placing domestically. A stacked roster with arguably one of the best flex players in the world in “ATA KAPTAN” and flashy duelist in “qw1”, don’t underestimate Turkish talent.
The Powerhouses
Already the introductions for these teams kind of gives you the scope of the teams attending Champions. We have barely cracked top 10 and already you can see the breed of talent attending. Next up are the Powerhouses, teams who have some serious firepower and accomplishments to back their talk. They are the second most likely teams to contend for the Champions title and the most likely tier of teams to go toe-to-toe with the best in the world.
[9] EDward Gaming
This is the team that captured the hearts and imaginations of so many at Tokyo. In the weeks following their run at Masters, all people could talk about was how incredibly crazy talented this roster is, all headed up with perhaps the most disgustingly dominant OPer this game has seen to date. (You all know who I am referring to.)
[8] Natus Vincere
Winners of Copenhagen, this is the core of a team that many considered to be near the peak of Valorant. Their recent drought of wow factor is the primary reason for their relatively low standing, but if there was ever a time to turn the narrative around, this would be it.
[7] LOUD
Defending champions of well, Champions. They return once more to defend their crown, albeit with a slightly different roster. Despite a strong run at LOCK//IN and regular season, they faltered at Masters. Concerns arise on the future of their roster’s longevity, but you can never really count out these Brazilians.
[6] DRX
Always the bridesmaid, never the bride, DRX has been the perennial ‘chokers’ of top tier Valorant. Despite their obvious skill and success, they have never claimed an international win. However, they are always good for those deep runs, and they are a team you cannot underestimate.
[5] Team Liquid
Winners of VCT EMEA, they have earned the moniker of ‘Kingslayers’ for being the one team to have successfully beaten Fnatic. I feel like the term ‘talented’ has been thrown around a lot, but there are few teams that are as stacked as them. The only reason they are not ranked higher has been their lack of an international title thus far. Despite that, this is a team of champions and have the pedigree to match the best teams in the world.
The Elites
Now we have reached the good stuff, the best of the best. In terms of Valorant rosters, these are the apex of teams who trailblaze for the rest, who are the closest to the peak, and who’s hunger you can practically taste. Of all the teams, these four are the closest to being crowned 2023’s sovereign.
[4] Evil Geniuses
Perhaps the wildest narrative of Masters Tokyo was the unprecedented rise of Evil Geniuses. From near bottom of the America’s league, to making Playoffs thanks to another team, to crushing Playoffs to take the third seed spot, to crushing everyone at Masters Tokyo and placing second. Incredible performance from the NA squad and one that has given Americas fans a lot of hope for a flashier team from their region to make it deep.
[3] NRG
Not as flashy and stylish as Evil Geniuses, NRG is the dependable workhorse of NA. Calculative, shrewd, analytical, they specialize in breaking down opponents and defeating them before the mouse ever touches the mousepad. Perpetually one of the best teams in the world, “FNS” and his squad has proven that they are always contenders for the crown.
[2] Paper Rex
Once a rogue team of cracked aimers and ‘W’ key gaming style, they have since evolved into a team of even more cracked aimers and more chaotic ‘W’ key gaming style. Paper Rex have honed their unique chaotic playstyle to a tee and have proven a viability for teams to be more free-flowing and instinctual. That is not to say that this teams lacks in tactical depth. With a unique rota of shotcalling, you never know what face you might get, when you take on Paper Rex.
[1] Fnatic
The current undisputed best team in the world. The only Valorant roster to not only win two international titles; but win them back-to-back. This is a roster that not only contends for the peak, but it is virtually the final boss for any dreamers who seek to take the Champions title for themselves.
With all that said, these are the 16 teams attending Champions 2023. Hopefully this tier list has given you some insight into what to expect and who to root for when the games begin.
Valorant Champions 2o23 will be held in Los Angeles, California, USA from the 6th of August until the 26th.
Credit: Valorant Esports // Riot Games