Top 5 Initiator players to look out for at VCT Masters Tokyo
VCT Masters Tokyo is about to commence as the top teams worldwide will compete for the first Masters trophy in 2023. There will be a total of 12 teams which includes three from the Americas, three from the Pacific, four from EMEA, and lastly, two from China. These teams will start with the Group Stage, out of which the top four will make it to the Playoffs, where the champion will be crowned. The winning region will receive an extra slot at Champions 2022.
Initiators hold a significant role in every team composition. Their abilities allow them to get information, a key component of Valorant. They can sometimes also be used aggressively to set the Duelists up for some kills. There have been many pro players in the VCT history that have made some amazing plays with Initiators. Below is a list of five such Initiator players that viewers need to watch out for in VCT Masters Tokyo.
Note: This article is subjective and solely reflects the writer's opinions.
Chronicle, crashies, and three other Initiator players to keep an eye on during VCT Masters Tokyo
1) Chronicle
Timofey "Chronicle" Khromov is an esports player from Russia who currently plays for Fnatic. He has mainly filled the role of an Initiator for his team but has also played the role of Controller Viper for his team.
Chronicle's Valorant journey took off when he joined Gambit Esports, where they were able to dominate the EMEA region and the world in 2021. For 2023, he joined Fnatic and is the only player to have won two international trophies, including VCT Stage 3: Masters Berlin and VCT LOCK//IN.
Chronicle is a highly versatile player who has brought a lot of value through multiple Agents. He had a total ACS (Average Combat Score) of 224.4 with four different Agents with no Duelist. This statistic put him in the top ten players in the VCT EMEA League.
2) crashies
Austin "crashies" Roberts is an esports player from the United States currently playing for the NRG Esports. He has mainly fulfilled the role of an Initiator for his team but has also played as the Controller Viper and Sentinel Killjoy when needed.
crashies was a part of the very successful OpTic Gaming. The team was considered the best in the NA region and the world. He and his team secured at least the top three in every international event in 2022. For 2023, crashies and a few of his teammates have moved to NRG for franchising.
crashies has always managed to find a lot of value with his Initiator skills. Apart from his utility, his aim is also perfect, and he has gifted his teams several multikills to change the fate of specific rounds. He is easily one of the most consistent players on the squad and had a total ACS of 202.1 in the VCT Americas League.
3) Zest
Kim "Zest" Gi-seok is a South Korean esports player who plays for the DRX team. He has mainly filled the role of an Initiator for his team but has also played as the Controllers Brimstone and Harbor when needed.
He has been a part of the DRX roster since their phase as Vision Strikers. This roster dominated the Korean region and later became feared as one of the best teams on the global stage.
Zest has incredible utility usage. He is always calm and collected during tense situations. His 1v5 ace clutch against Talon Esports in VCT LOCK//IN was one of the best moments from that event.
4) cauanzin
Cauan "cauanzin" Pereira is a Brazilian esports player currently playing for LOUD. He has mainly fulfilled the role of an Initiator for his team.
cauanzin first started with Ninjas in Pyjamas. The team was able to qualify for one international event but was eliminated in the Group Stage itself. For VCT 2023, cauanzin joined LOUD as they saw the departure of Sacy and pANcada to Sentinels.
cauanzin has been able to fill the shoes of Sacy quite well for the team. The young gun has an insane aim, leading to a few of the most incredible moments in VCT history. His best moment was a 3k clutch against NRG Esports that got them into Overtime which they ended up winning.
5) d4v41
Khalish "d4v41" Rusyaidee is an esports player from Malaysia who plays for the team Paper Rex. He has mainly fulfilled the role of Initiator for his team but has also played as the Controller Viper, Sentinel Killjoy, and Chamber when needed.
d4v41 has been a part of Paper Rex since the very beginning. The team was able to prove itself on the regional stage. Still, it wasn't until VCT Stage 2: Masters Copenhagen that they cemented themselves as a force to be reckoned with internationally.
d4v41 is another consistent player who has excellent utility usage and meshes well with Paper Rex's proactive gameplay style. His 1v2 ace clutch against DRX on the final map in the Grand Finals of the Pacific League was one of the best highlights of the tournament.
VCT Masters Tokyo will begin on June 11. The event will open with an NA vs. EU matchup between Evil Geniuses and FUT Esports.
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Ashmita Bhatt