VCT Americas Kickoff Week 1 Power Ranking
Thought it would be fun to do a little power ranking week to week, so if people missed any games they can get the jist of what happened + my opinion on their standing within the region. This is not a definitive ranking like "these are the top 3 teams FOR SURE going to Santiago", but just how I rate them based on the games played this week.
NRG: For sure the most solid looking team of the big three so far, although you could make the argument they had the weakest opponent of the three. Was cool to see Keiko on the Neon, since we've seen him on the Raze but not much other duelists. Not really much to say, I'm kinda just waiting for the champs curse atp LMAO
G2: Wow G2 is good, what a shocker🙄 I personally was so over the “G2 play perfect valorant” narrative being used by the broadcast last year, it just became not fun to watch their games because it was just pointless. They’d lose a round or a map but it couldn’t POSSIBLY be their fault cause they don’t make mistakes! It’s died down a bit this year so far, but yeah of course they’re still good. It was kinda nice to see them get challenged by 100t, just to remind everyone they can still bleed. I’m interested to see what they play on maps we didn’t see in the offseason (ie breeze), and goddamn is Leaf a monster. Bro just takes over games on BREACH.
100T: Alright my bias is showing now. This is probably my favorite team from what I’ve seen so far, they’ve got really great ideas (that Corrode comp is EVIL its GENIUS, we’ll see about its attack though), and I really like Vora’s calling. They’re definitely the 4th place team right now, but I’ve placed them in 3rd for this week purely cause I was more impressed with what I saw than I was with #4. Like they could’ve beaten G2 2-0. That’s fucking crazy. And get Timo on a day where he’s just really feelin it??? Ohhhhhh this team is dangerous.
MIBR: Again, it’s not surprising in any way that a team with Aspas, Zekken, Mazino, Tex, and Verno is insane, but goddamn did they have a lot of plot armor against ENVY. There were a lot of rounds, especially on Abyss, where Aspas is just blessed by God, either through somehow Not Dying to magically getting a 3k while solo anchoring. I understand they’ve had very limited practice time but frankly I was a bit disappointed in the comp choices, nothing really new or interesting. Their Corrode comp from last year, the default 2024 Abyss comp…..like it worked but y’all didn’t wanna play around with double duelist even a little? You’d really rather stick ZEKKEN on Astra? Not even a dash of Yoru? I doubt they beat NRG, unless they keep that plot armor on tight.
ENVY: A very odd team to place. They scraped a win past EG, got stomped by MIBR on map 1 but made it close on map 2. They’re a dark horse but I doubt the better teams get caught by their aggressive rank-y style. I don’t know, I guess I’m just imagining a near future where Yoru is nerfed into the ground and this team is just fucked because Eggster LITERALLY can’t play anything else. It’s interesting to see different players step up each match (Eggster then Rossy), but I wanna see them when they’re all shooting.
FUR: Holy shit what a surge in the rankings. Definitely underrated by everyone. Koalanoob is a DEMON on the op, but everyone is just playing soooo confidently, which you never saw on previous rosters. They’re not doing anything too exciting comp wise but really they don’t need to, cause this is just about building confidence really. Like asking them to start cooking strategy wise is a lot when they’ve just barely beaten the Last Place allegations.
LEV: It hurts me to put them this low. I was believing in a lower bracket run. But I think this team needs to ramp up over the year, and obviously for Neon to be there. Not only that, but I’m a bit concerned for the playstyle Onur seems to be going with for this squad. You’ve got four cracked zoomers and a cracked, experienced IGL…..and your strategy is to play like Fnatic? I hope this is just their plan for these games before Neon comes in or something, cause I’ll be disappointed if this is the LEV we get after seeing them go dummy crazy in the off season.
C9: What is there to say really. They’re still a sort of gatekeeper team, where they beat teams worse than them but never really can compete with those better than them. Obviously that floor/ceiling can move up over time as Zellsis adjusts to IGLing, but I don’t know, there’s nothing really to say about this team. They stomped LOUD and got stomped by NRG, that’s about it.
SEN: Jesus christ this game pissed me off so goddamn bad. I hate the no recon inti idea Kaplan clearly thinks is going to be meta. It was just so utterly destroyed because they had absolutely no way of punishing Koalanoob on the op. And someone needs to lock N4rrate in a room and force him to watch 50 hours of Timotino and HYUNMIN Waylay vods, because his tp usage was shocking. Like how are you placing your recall down and not moving an inch? I’m being harsh, but really it was cause I was such a fan of ‘24/‘25 SEN, and I was really bummed to see them change SOOO much from last year. For them to brag about going to all the international events and upper bracket finals or whatever, change half the team, brag about winning their own off season tournaments, then get on stage and just completely crumble? God someone get Johnqt some help. Save him from this team.
EG: I’m gonna be honest: I don’t remember anything about the one game they played. They beat ENVY on a map! They got close on another one!…….Okeanos is funny! Keep doing confessionals to the camera! Uhhhhhhhhhhh, yeah that’s it.
LOUD: God what an utter waste of my time this team is. Get Daiki a goddamn trial for the IGL spot idgaf if she never played tier 2, it at least would be interesting to see a new Brazilian IGL on the stage that knows what they’re doing. Like yes, we have a bit more fresh blood on this team but I just am still not impressed by the old guard that’s still here. Honestly I hope they do the whole “go 0-5 but have someone drop 40 every map every time” thing again cause goddamn was that hilarious.
KRU: Only down here cause they’re a sub roster. Just such a bummer that there’s continuously visa issues that prevents entire teams from playing. And with how hostile the US government is right now, Riot should genuinely consider splitting up the region, for at least the players’ safety. It would be a bummer to not always be able to watch their games but at least I wouldn’t be worried that ICE would do some evil shit to them. Plus maybe having 12 LATAM/Brazilian teams would finally pump some new blood in the region.