VCT LOCK//IN 2023: 5 players to look out for
VCT (Valorant Champions Tour) 2023 is about to kick off with one of its biggest events yet, LOCK//IN, in Sao Paulo, Brazil. It will see 30 franchised teams from all three regions, plus two Chinese rosters compete against each other.
A single-elimination format will be followed throughout the tournament, meaning that one loss will mean the end of a team's run in the event. It has received a bit of criticism from some of the community but has also seen approval from others.
The goal of LOCK//IN is to introduce all the franchised teams to the viewers and to make sure there is an equal amount of exposure. VCT 2022 was when Valorant truly achieved its status as a global esport.
Teams from all regions were able to compete at the highest levels and delivered some of the biggest upsets in VCT. Certain players were also quickly able to rise to fame due to the incredible skill that they displayed.
LOCK//IN has the potential to be one of the most entertaining events yet, and could lead to forming some potential rivalries in the future. There are some names that can create magic with their plays on the stage. Below is a list of five players to look out for in VCT LOCK//IN 2023.
Note: This article is subjective and solely reflects the writer's opinions.
TenZ, yay, and 3 more players to keep an eye on during VCT LOCK//IN 2023, São Paulo
1) TenZ
Tyson "TenZ" Ngo is a Canadian esports player who plays for the team,Sentinels. He has mostly fulfilled the role of a Duelist, Sentinel, Chamber for the team, but was recently seen playing the role of an Initiator as well.
TenZ is one of the biggest names in the Valorant esports scene. In VCT, 2021 he and his team became the winners of the first international LAN event, VCT Stage 2: Master Reykjavik, without dropping a single map in the entire tournament.
Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for VCT 2022 as the team failed to qualify for a single international event and showed rather disappointing results in the NA region. For VCT 2023, Sentinels have made a lot of changes to their roster and it looks like TenZ will also be switching his roles to aid the team more.
2) ScreaM
Adil "ScreaM" Benrlitom is an esports athlete from Belgium who currently plays for the team, Karmime Corp. He has played the role of Duelist, Sentinel, and even Initiator at times when needed.
ScreaM was one of the most skilled players in the CS:GO esports scene, and was able to deliver the same amount of skill in Valorant as well. Benrlitom and his former squad, Team Liquid, were among the top teams on the EMEA scene. They qualified for many international events and had a decent showing in all of them, with ScreaM showing how he was an absolute beast on LAN.
For VCT 2023, ScreaM has joined the French org, Karmime Corp, alongside his brother, Nivera. The duo have a lot of potential to take Karmine's roster to new heights in 2023.
3) yay
Jaccob "yay" Whiteaker is an American esports player who currently plays for the team, Cloud9. He has mostly fulfilled the role of a Duelist and a Sentinel, Chamber, for his team.
In 2022, yay absolutely dominated the international scene with his Chamber plays. He and his former team, OpTic Gaming, were one of the most consistent rosters as they finished in at least the top three rankings in all the international events, and also won the VCT Stage 1: Masters Reykjavik.
yay also received the award for the Best Esports Athlete in 2022 from the Game Awards. For 2023, he has joined Cloud9, which is perhaps the most stacked roster in the entirety of VCT. So, it is no surprise that a lot of eyes will be yay on this event.
4) f0rsakeN
Jason "f0rsakeN" Susanto is an Indonesian esports player who plays for the team, Paper Rex. He has mostly played the role of a Duelist and the Sentinel, Chamber, and is the primary Operator player for the squad.
Paper Rex is currently one of the most popular teams in the Valorant esports scene. They were able to dominate the top squads in the world with their chaotic, W-gaming strategy.
f0rsakeN, along with his teammate Jinggg, would completely derail the opposition team in the first few seconds of the round, helping the duo come on top of all their duels. Susanto is also one of the few players who successfully made Yoru work in international matches, which led to some of the most memorable moments in Valorant.
For 2023, f0rsakeN has decided to stick with Paper Rex. The team hasn't seen any major changes apart from the addition of the sixth man, CigaretteS.
5) stax
Kim "stax" Gu-taek is a South Korean esports player who plays for the team, DRX. He mostly plays the role of an Initiator for his team, but has also played the role of Sentinel, Sage, when needed.
DRX is currently one of the strongest Valorant teams in Asia. In VCT 2022, DRX qualified for all international LAN events but would always end up finishing in 5th-6th place. That changed in Valorant Champions 2022, Istanbul as DRX really stepped up to the occasion and were able to finish in 3rd place, proving that they were a team to be feared.
stax is a fearless player and gave the viewers some of the most amazing moments in Istanbul. For 2023, he has decided to stay with DRX. The only change to their roster is the addition of the sixth man, Foxy9. Given the amazing results in the past, Stax has a great opportunity to replicate those in 2023.
VCT LOCK//IN is an exciting event as this will be the first introduction of all the franchised teams to the audience. Given its single-bracket format, the rosters will have to bring their A-game right from the get-go, which might lead to some of the most nail-biting series in VCT history.
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Abu Amjad Khan