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With lights, cameras, and teams all set, Valorant Champions 2022, is close. The stage for the tournament, which is about to start next month, will feature 16 Valorant teams from all over the world duking it out to determine a new champion.
The teams will meet for the second time at the final stage of the year-end culmination of Riot Games-organized tournaments.
It's the first time that the tournament will be played in Istanbul, Turkey. The 2022 VCT will conclude with Valorant Champions in September. 10 of the 16 teams in Istanbul have qualified from the regular season, while the remaining six teams have qualified through the Last Chance Qualifiers.
Acend were crowned the winners last December in the Valorant Champions Berlin 2021 tournament. Turkey's star Jett player Mehmet Yağız "cNed" İpek propeled his team to become the first ever world champions of Valorant. This year, the scene might bring about a huge a change with the Riot partnership model.
List of teams with a ticket to Valorant Champions 2022
Now that there have been months of regional tournaments and two international Masters tournaments, 10 teams have earned enough circuit points to qualify and represent their region in the Valorant Champions 2022.
The esports scene in Valorant had to endure a lot of restrictions due to COVID-19 protocols, particularly in terms of a live audience. However, the tournament has managed to reach a peak viewership of over a million. This year might top these numbers as there are now fewer restrictions in place.
The teams that have qualified represent North America (NA), Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), Brazil, Latin America (LATAM), Korea, Japan and Asia-Pacific (APAC) regions. The 10 teams that have qualified owing to their circuit points are:
- OpTic Gaming
- XSET
- FunPlus Phoenix
- Fnatic
- LOUD
- Leviatán
- DRX
- ZETA DIVISION
- Paper Rex
- XERXIA
The final six teams have just qualified with the conclusion of Valorant Last Chance Qualifiers 2022. One team from NA, one from EMEA, two from South America (Brazil and LATAM), one from East Asia (Korea, Japan, and China) and one from APAC have qualified for Champions 2022. The teams are as follows:
- BOOM Esports
- KRÜ Esports
- EDward Gaming
- Team Liquid
- FURIA
- 100 Thieves
Here is a primer for all of the 16 teams that have qualified for Valorant Champions 2022.
1) OpTic Gaming
OpTic, with their stellar performance, have once again shown why they are considered the best Valorant team in the world. They are among the favorite North American teams to win the year-end tournament.
2) XSET
XSET smashed OpTic Gaming in the Grand Finals of North America Stage 2 Challengers. They've claimed their spot at the Champions 2022 after heading into the Masters: Copenhagen tournament.
3) FunPlus Phoenix
FunPlus Phoenix are the newest VCT Masters champions and have had a tumultuous run leading up to the Champions 2022 qualification. They've made an astounding run recently and they'll be the team that everyone wants to go up against.
4) Fnatic
Fnatic is one of the most consistent teams from the EMEA region and has qualified for the tournament. At the Masters: Copenhagen, Fnatic had their best finish in a Tier 1 tournament since Masters: Reykjavík 2021.
5) LOUD
LOUD has only been defeated in three matches in the entire calendar year. They've had a disappointing performance in Copenhagen and their Brazilian fans will be hoping for an even stronger performance at Valorant Champions 2022.
6) Leviatán
Leviatán were one of the better teams in Copenhagen and will be a team to be reckoned with in Istanbul. They have shown that LATAM is more than just a region dominated by a single team, namely KRÜ Esports.
7) DRX
DRX is the best team in South Korea and maintain their performance by qualifying for international Valorant tournaments. They will be looking to prove their mettle at the Valorant Champions 2022.
8) ZETA DIVISION
Northeption beat ZETA DIVISION at the VCT Japan Stage 2 but crashed out in Copenhagen during the Group Stage. Koji "Laz" Ushida & Co. will be looking to prove that their performance on the international stage wasn’t a fluke.
9) Paper Rex
Paper Rex became the first Asian team to reach the finals of an international VCT tournament. These guys have an unpredictable style of play and can be ultra aggressive at times, which is a real treat to watch.
10) XERXIA
XERXIA always fell a bit short against their peers Paper Rex but that was enough for them to qualify for Champions 2022 as APAC region had two slots. One of their most notable achievements was when they beat OpTic in Reykjavík.
11) BOOM Esports
BOOM Esports from Indonesia were the first team to qualify for Champions 2022 via the Last Chance Qualifiers and will be making their first international appearance. They have not yet beaten their fellow APAC teams Paper Rex and XERXIA this season.
12) KRÜ Esports
The only team that has qualified for every single VCT event since last year, KRÜ are back on the scene. In what will likely be the biggest audience yet for a Valorant event, they are looking to get back in form in search of a world championship.
13) EDward Gaming
This is the first time ever that esports fans will get to see a Chinese team compete on the global stage. They've previously beaten South Korean and Japanese teams without losing a single map.
14) Team Liquid
Team Liquid have qualified for the Champions tournament via the EMEA LCQ for the second year in a row. Adil “ScreaM” Benrlitom is Team Liquid's superstar player and he'll surely be looking to get plenty more one-taps.
15) FURIA
FURIA made their international debut at the 2021 Champions but were slotted into a group with two tough opponents. They still couldn’t beat KRÜ in this year’s SA LCQ, but that didn’t matter as they beat every other team to punch their ticket to Istanbul.
16) 100 Thieves
100 Thieves have orchestrated a fairytale comeback this season on their way to the Champions 2022 tournament. They were brutally beaten 13-0 by The Guard at one point, and then went on to defeat them to qualify for the Champions.
