Currently, the international VALORANT community is enjoying ongoing VCT LOCK//IN 2023 event. Here, the top 32 teams in the world have been going at it, in a harsh single-elimination format. Accordingly, on Day 3, we have five teams who have been eliminated – read on to learn more!
Indeed, the following matches have gone down in the past two days:
Day 1
KOI vs NRG (0-2)
DetonatioN FM vs Giants (0-2)
Day 2
FunPlus Phoenix vs Karmine Corp (1-2)
BBL Esports vs DRX (1-2)
Cloud9 vs Paper Rex (2-0)
Specifically, the match between Paper Rex and Cloud9 shocked the community. Moreover, Paper Rex were one of the favourites to win the entire event, yet they simply couldn’t put it together at this first event.
Indeed, surprisingly, all of the North American teams so far have stood strong.
Credits: Riot Games
In the coming day, there’ll be more competition to watch, with the following matches taking place later tonight:
MIBR vs Talon Esports
Gen.G Esports vs LOUD
Notably, LOUD had their match delayed to today due to illness affecting the team – let’s see how they show up against Gen.G tonight.
Indeed, while all eyes are on the VCT LOCK//IN event in the coming week, there’s more to be excited about. Accordingly, Game Changers continues to enjoy more investment from organizations – such as Karmine Corp VALORANT 2023. Read on to learn more below!
Karmine Corp VALORANT 2023 – Going All-French
Une nouvelle aventure commence… ⚡️
Souhaitez la bienvenue à notre roster Valorant Game Changers 🔫
Specifically, Karmine Corp have just revealed a Game Changers VALORANT roster. Sticking to their French roots, the all-French roster is as follows:
Asma “LiriLia” Boughida
Lea “Matriix” Ransquin
Mel “Mel” Houssein
Mathilde “Nelo” Beltoise
Nouhara “Ninou” Marcos Oraha
So, what is there to know about this new roster? With regards to a history playing together, the likes ofNouhara “:Ninou” Marcos Oraha and Asma “LiriLia” Boughida were both signed from Rix.GG Lightning.
Credits: Riot Games
Accordingly, they offered some great potential, but lacking dominant performances. Overall, this new band of players looks to unite as the best female VALORANT esports from France.
Heading into this season, the Game Changers scene looks to continue growing, with more esports organizations investing and forming teams, also improving the level of competition in this young scene.
We’ll be sure to stay up to date with any further changes.
Kicking off in the coming week, the VCT 2023 LOCK//IN Sao Paulo event looks to start the season in epic fashion. Accordingly, with the top 32 teams in the world attending from multiple events, predictions for this event are very interesting. Read on to learn some predictions in this featured article!
Event Background
The 2023 season is kicking off with the BIGGEST event in #VCT history featuring new rosters, a new meta, and more!
Taking place offline, with $500,000 on the line, the event will take place offline from 13th February to 4th March in Sao Paulo. Here are the teams competing in the VCT 2023 LOCK//IN:
EMEA Partner Team:BBL Esports, Fnatic, FUT Esports, Giants, Karmine Corp, KOI, Natus Vincere, Team Heretics, Team Liquid, Team Vitality
Pacific Partner Team: DetonatioN FM, DRX, Gen.G, Global Esports, Paper Rex, Rex Regum Qeon, T1, Talon Esports, Team Secret, ZETA DIVISION
China Invited Team:EDward Gaming, FunPlus Phoenix
While we can’t discuss all of the teams, let’s focus on a few which many have outlined as favourites. Notably, considering this is the first event of the year, many of these teams are yet to compete on an international event – let’s dive into some teams below.
We all have a favorite agent but what if you could only play one?
Overall, there are a number of rosters which many are considering the best based either on their past or their potential.
Bearing this in mind, we’ve listed teams which many consider favourites below:
Natus Vincere – combining elements of the former FPX roster, bringing on a world champion such as “cNed” to help them frag makes them incredibly likely to make a deep run in this first event of the year.
LOUD –as the reigning champions from last season, LOUD has made a few small changes while maintaining the core of the team which took over the world – can they do it again this year?
Paper Rex – perhaps the only team that hasn’t made changes, Paper Rex looks to bring the excitement and creativity from the Pacific region and hopefully help the region earn their first international win.
Credits: Riot Games
DRX – consistently placing well at international tournaments last year, DRX could very well show up and remind everyone of their 3rd place finish at VALORANT Champions last year.
Fnatic – placing 5-6th at VALORANT Champions last year, they’ve brought in new talent with “Chronicle” and “Leo“, looking like one of the most dangerous European teams in the competition.
100 Thieves – as the only favourite from North America, a few tournaments over the past month have demonstrated that this event is seriously impressive and have the potential to take over.
VCT 2023 LOCK//IN – Looking for Surprises
Accordingly, there are also a nuimber of questions the community has:
Can Americas stack up with the other regions?
Will Sentinels improve from last time?
How will the Chinese teams perform?
Will this format provide reliable results?
Credits: Riot Games
Moreover, this final point is one requiring further discussion. Indeed, considering a single-elimination format, teams only need to lose once in order to be eliminated from the competition.
Indeed, this format does allow for upsets and surprises. In addition, teams have been randomly seeded into the Round of 32 . Their early opponents will dictate how far they make it.
Last year, Riot Games revealed plans for VALORANT Collegiate Esports. Accordingly, with the plan of tapping into this niche market in North America, the events are taking place soon. Specifically, 2023 will see more support for women competitors – read on to learn more!
VALORANT Collegiate Esports – Supporting Women Competitors
Moreover, the likes of Xbox, ESPORTSU and Paida Gaming will be creating a series of gaming events.
The first event, which concerns VALORANT, is the competitive national collegiate VALORANT qualifying tournament.
Featuring players from all over North America, teams will feature female competitors with the aim of supporting them exclusively.
Moreover, at this event, the top teams will have the opportunity to earn a spot at the finals event, taking place at Esports Stadium Arlington later this year.
Credits: Riot Games
Indeed, while not as big as Game Changers, Riot Games’ official competitive circuit for female competitors, the collegiate side of things is quite exciting. Considering how popular VALORANT has become in North America, the idea to nurture growth in lower tiers of competition only benefits the entire scene.
Accordingly, we’ll be on the look out to see how Riot Games continues to invest in this scene.
Heading into 2023, all eyes are on VALORANT esports. Accordingly, with a new format and a plan to take things up a notch, the new Tier 1 season kicks off this coming week. Indeed, read on as we learn How to Watch the opening main event – VCT 2023: LOCK//IN Sao Paolo below!
As we’ll reiterate, the VALORANT Champions Tour is very different this year.
Accordingly, gone is the purely open format, as Riot Games has handpicked partner teams from three regions. Indeed, while regional competition will kick off shortly, this event is purely for entertainment and to get the season started.
However, the $500,000 on the line and the extra Masters Tour 2023 seed for the winning region is massive. Here’s a list of all 32 competitors below:
Hosted by Riot Games, this event will take place offline in Sao Paulo, ranging from 13th February to 4th March. This event will offer some exciting insight into how all the international teams stack up.
Format
With regards to the format, it’s rather simple and very intense.
Indeed, Riot, despite the controversy, has opted for a 32 team single-elimination bracket, with seeding based on regional distribution.
Overall, the 32 teams have been split into 4 brackets which coincide in the Quarterfinals and Semifinals. Notably, all matches except for the BO5 Semifinals and Grand Finals will be BO3.
Here are the opening matches for the single elimination bracket:
KOI vs NRG
DetonatioN FM vs Giants
Gen.G Esports vs LOUD
FunPlus Phoenix vs Karmine Corp
BBL Esports vs DRX
Cloud9 vs Paper Rex
Evil Geniuses vs Team Heretics
MIBR vs Talon Esports
Team Liquid vs Team Secret
Natus Vincere vs KRU Esports
ZETA DIVISION vs Leviatan
Team Vitality vs Global Esports
FUT Esports vs Rex Regum Qeon
100 Thieves vs EDward Gaming
Sentinels vs Fnatic
T1 vs FURIA Esports
With one life-line, teams will be giving their all to make it deep into the competition.
Considering the vast number of matches, we’ll take a look at the opening matches for the first few days in the CET time zone:
February 13th
KOI vs NRG (18:00)
DetonatioN FM vs Giants (21:00)
February 14th
Gen.G Esports vs LOUD (00:00)
FunPlus Phoenix vs Karmine Corp (18:00)
BBL Esports vs DRX (21:00)
February 15th
Cloud9 vs Paper Rex (00:00)
Evil Geniuses vs Team Heretics (18:00)
MIBR vs Talon Esports (21:00)
For the remainder of the schedule, we recommend visiting the official VALORANT Esports page here.
Watch the VCT 2023: LOCK//IN Sao Paulo on esportsguide
You can also watch the VCT 2023: LOCK//IN Sao Paulo live stream via our very own website. Providing an extensive list of the biggest esports together with streams for each esports match live today or upcoming matches.
Honestly, there’s no VCT event which we can use to predict this event. Accordingly, the last time we saw international competition of this level was at the Red Bull Home Ground #3:
#1 – 100 Thieves
#2 – Cloud9
#3-4 – Team Vitality, KRU Esports
While we can’t surely predict, we do have a suspicion that EMEA will come out on top considering the history of the region.
This season, competitive VALORANT has been tough on the Tier 2. Accordingly, with very few spots available, teams are competing as hard as they can to make it. Bearing this in mind, organizations want to invest in teams with a chance to succeed – that’s how MAD Lions VALORANT Roster is happening!
Specifically, MAD Lions is investing in forming a team after an initial attempt last year. This team in particular, Dark Ratio, will be competing int the VALORANT Challengers NA Split 1.
Here, they’ll have a chance to compete in an Ascension event where the top team can join the Partner League temporarily.
Accordingly, the team is as follows:
Adam “Ange” Milian
Anthony “ZexRow” Colandro
Taylor “drone” Johnson
Justin “Trick” Sears
William “Will” Cheng
Combining some veteran experience with rookies, this roster has the potential to climb to the top. However, there is some serious competition ahead of them.
Credits: Riot Games
After placing third at the last Open Qualifier, let’s see if they can continue their climb:
3-4th @ VALORANT Challengers 2023: NA Split 1 – Open Qualifier
2nd @ BoomTV VALORANT Select
2nd @ Knights Arena Monthly Gauntlet 2022: September
Overall, the current competitive scene in VALORANT has multiple regions competing in Tier 2 tournaments to try and climb to the top. Accordingly, the VALORANT Challengers 2023 NA Split 1 is kicking off in the coming days. Read on to learn more about the event below!
Event Background
Credits: Riot Games
For those unaware, VALORANT Challengers this year is Tier 2 compared to last year, when it was Tier 1. Indeed, now titled the VALORANT Challenger League, this format will allow teams not in the partnered league to make it to Tier 1 should they manage to ascend.
Hosted online, the event will take place from 1st February to 17th March. Competing for the prize pool and the opportunity to compete in Ascension are the following 12 teams:
M80
FaZe Clan
TSM
Shopify Rebellion
G2 Esports
The Guard
BreakThru
Disguised
Oxygen Esports
Dark Ratio
Squirtle Squad
OREsports
So, apart from the rights to be the top in the region at Tier 2, there’s only one two-year promotion spot in the VCT Americas league up for grabs here. Teams here are trying to earn a spot in the Ascension tournament later this year to earn this temporary spot.
Format
Credits: Riot Games
With regards to the format, this event will feature two stages of competition.
Firstly, the competition will be split into two groups of 6. Here, the format is a single round-robin, meaning that teams compete against one another only once in BO3 matches.
From each group, only the top 4 will progress to compete in the Playoffs. Here are the randomly seeded groups below:
Group A:
FaZe Clan
Shopify Rebellion
G2 Esports
BreakThru
Oxygen Esports
Squirtle Squad
Group B:
TSM
The Guard
M80
Disguised
Dark Ratio
OREsports
Once in the Playoffs, teams will compete in a double elimination bracket with everyone starting in the Upper Bracket.
Here, teams have two lifelines. Moreover, a loss in the Upper Bracket demotes a team to the Lower Bracket. Furthermore, another loss results in the team being eliminated from the competition.
Schedule for the VALORANT Challengers 2023 NA Split 1
Credits: Riot Games
Although we can’t list the entire schedule, here’s a snippet through the first Week in the CET timezone:
Week 1
February 1st 2023
FaZe Clan vs G2 Esports (22:00)
The Guard vs DSG (01:00)
February 2nd 2023
TSM vs DR (22:00)
BT vs Oxygen Esports (01:00)
February 3rd 2023
Shopify Rebellion vs SS (22:00)
M80 vs OR (01:00)
To view more of the schedule, we recommend tuning into the VALORANT esports Twitter page here.
Watch the VALORANT Challengers 2023 NA Split 1 on esportsguide
Credits: Riot Games
You can also watch the event live stream via our very own website. Providing an extensive list of the biggest esports together with streams for each esports match live today or upcoming matches.
Well, predictions are very difficult here considering that these teams have all formed prior to this event. However, the likes of The Guard and TSM both competed at the Ludwig x Tarik Invitational, both of them beating out Tier 1 competition in Sentinels and T1.
Accordingly, they’re favourites here as the only teams who’ve played competitively for us all to see. However, we can’t wait to be surprised in the coming weeks.
Accordingly, there’s an interesting amount of rostermania taking place in the VALORANT scene. Indeed, with the regional Challengers events taking place, teams are building themselves to maximize their chances of success. Read on as we preview a recent change concerning the TSM VALORANT Challengers 2023 below!
So, TSM is one of the most popular organizations in North America. Indeed, despite investing in VALORANT since the early days, the organization missed out on the Partnership Programme at Tier 1 VALORANT.
Accordingly, TSM is aiming to conquer Challengers to have the chance to compete at the highest level. Here’s the roster they’ve assembled below:
Johann “seven” Hernandez
Corey “corey” Nigra
Anthony “gMd” Guimond
James “hazed” Cobb
Nicholas “NaturE” Garrison
In addition, the team just signed a new assistant coach – Andrey “Engh” Sholokhov who is a historic coach with an incredible history thanks to his successful history with Gambit Esports.
Credits: Riot Games
Paired with this experience, this TSM roster looks to be successful, moreso than their legacy:
2nd @ Ludwig x Tarik Invitational
2nd @ Knights Arena Freezeout
11th-12th @ VCT NA Stage 2 Challengers
1-4th @ VCT 2022 NA Stage 2 Challengers – Open Qualifier
9-12th @ VCT 2022 NA Stage 1 Challengers Open Qualifier 2
Considering how young this title is, competitive VALORANT is truly climbing up year after year. Accordingly, the VALORANT developer update 2023 has us very excited for the rest of the year. Indeed, feel free to read on as we summarize some of the exciting updates for this year below!
VALORANT Developer Update 2023 – Huge Prospects
Episode 6 is only the start. Premier, new modes, and more—here’s a message from the devs of just some of what’s in store for VALORANT in 2023. pic.twitter.com/6xi1eOcglP
So, here’s a list of things discussed in the video below:
New agents, maps, skins, balance updates and Battle Passes
New gamemodes – Swiftplay and Team Deathmatch
Meta-game systems – improved progression and behaviour monitoring
Premier – major evolution linking game and esports
VALORANT coming to new platforms
Naturally, this new Premier system has caught everyone’s eye. Rumoured to be coming in the next year, this mode is like nothing else.
Credits: Riot Games
Accordingly, it looks to allow individuals to team up and compete online at the highest level possible.
Otherwise, we can’t wait to see what more Riot Games has to reveal with regards to the future of VALORANT. We’ll be sure to keep you up to date with any new updates reaching the game soon in the coming months.
Overall, the competitive VALORANT year has kicked off in a major way thans to the VALORANT Challenger regional leagues. Accordingly, while we’ve previewed a few regions, Korea is next on our radar. Indeed, feel free to read on to learn How to Watch the VALORANT Challengers 2023 Korea Split 1 below!
Event Background
Credits: Riot Games
With regards to the event background, for those unaware – VALORANT Challengers is different this year compared to last year. Moreover, while last year it was the Tier 1 competition, VALORANT Challengers is now the Tier 2 face of VALORANT.
Specifically, each region will allow the best teams not in the Regional Leagues to compete and fight for a limited number of spots available to Ascension – a teams chance to compete with the best of the best.
Taking place from 26th January to 25th February, the top 8 teams in the Korea Challengers league will be competing as listed below:
Invited
Dplus
Nongshim RedForce
CNJ esports
Maru Gaming
WGS X
OPGG
Open Qualifier
Shadow Corporation
Rio Company
Credits: Riot Games
Apart from the $60,000 prize pool, teams will be fighting for unannounced seeds available once Riot Games announces them. Read on to learn more about this event below.
Format
With regards to the format, there are two stages to this competition.
Firstly, we’ll have the Regular League running from 26th January to 10th February. In this stage, 8 teams will compete in a double round robin – this means that teams will face one another twice in BO3 matches. From this stage, the top 6 teams will advance to the Playoffs.
Once here, the top 6 will compete ina double elimination bracket from 16th February to 25th February. Within this double elimination bracket, teams will compete in BO3 matches except for the Lower Bracket Final and Grand Final – these will be BO5.
Credits: Riot Games
For those unaware, the double elimination bracket involves teams competing through a double sided bracket. On the Upper Bracket, a loss results in demotion to the Lower Bracket. Meanwhile, a loss in the Lower Bracket means elimination from the competition.
Schedule for the VALORANT Challengers 2023 Korea Split 1
With the competition one day away, below you’ll find a snippet of the action with the full schedule for Week 1 in the CET timezone:
January 26th 2023
Nongshim RedForc vs Dplus (08:00)
Shadow Corporation vs Maru Gaming (10:00)
January 27th 2023
Rio Company vs CNJ esports (08:00)
World Game Star vs OPGG (10:00)
January 28th 2023
Maru Gaming vs Dplus (08:00)
Shadow Corporation vs Nongshim RedForce (10:00)
January 29th 2023
World Game Star vs Rio Company (08:00)
OPGG vs CNJ esports (10:00)
For the remainder of the schedule, we recommend visiting the official VALORANT esports page here.
Watch the VALORANT Challengers 2023 Korea Split 1 on esportsguide
Credits: Riot Games
You can also watch the event live stream via our very own website. Providing an extensive list of the biggest esports together with streams for each esports match live today or upcoming matches.
So, just like the other regional leagues, we haven’t even this region compete since VCT Korea Stage 2 Challengers. Here’s how teams finished back then:
#1 – DRX
#2 – Maru Gaming
#3 – DAMWON Gaming
#4 – World Game Star
Bearing this in mind, with DRX out of the picture, Maru and DAMWON Gaming are the favourites here.
