'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAHAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFQABAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABQf/2gAIAQEAAAAAkIP/xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAG/9oACAECEAAAAGP/xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAF/9oACAEDEAAAAGP/xAAeEAACAgICAwAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgMRBCEAIgUSJP/aAAgBAQABPwDM8q+XhwGKL6VjQxkdUjt29lVbqtDjM5Yl27XvXP/EABcRAQADAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEAAhH/2gAIAQIBAT8ADKDP/8QAFxEAAwEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEhA//aAAgBAwEBPwDS1n//2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Valorant Champions Tour 2022: Stage 2 Masters - Copenhagen concluded on July 24, and the event was delivered in terms of hype, with exceptional games and eye-catching plays. The event also had some exquisite clutch plays.
A clutch is often one of the most exciting things for viewers to watch in a Valorant game, and the most skilled Valorant players showed up at the event when it matted the most. This article ranks four Valorant players who were the most clutch during the Valorant Masters 2022: Copenhagen.
4) Melser
Melser can be called the key person who drove Leviatán to a 5th-6th place finish. He won a whopping six clutches vs North America's number one seed XSET. He won clutches in regulation and overtime to keep Leviatán alive in the second map and avoid elimination.
Melser sent shockwaves throughout the Valorant community after his unbelievable performance vs XSET. He had a clutch percentage of 22% and won seven out of the 32 clutches he was in. Despite other players ranking higher in both percentages and the number of rounds won, the impactfulness of Melser's clutches in the game made him one of the best clutch players at the event.
Leviatán has secured a direct ticket to Champions as the Latin American team with the highest circuit points. Having proved himself to be an exceptional clutch and controller, it will be time for Melser to cement his status and prove that Copenhagen wasn't a fluke run for Leviatán.
3) Enzo
Fnatic were one of the heavy favorites heading into the tournament, but it seemed like they never hit their peak form in Copenhagen. The boys in black and orange still secured a top three finish, but the aura Fnatic exuded during their flawless EMEA challengers was not there to be seen on the main stage.
Nikita "Derke" Sirmitev had an underwhelming tournament compared to his usual standards, but Emir "Alfajer" Ali Beder had a solid international debut. With multiple stars on the team, it is hard to stand out in Fnatic, but Enzo "Enzo" Mestari did just that with his mind-blowing clutches.
The Frenchman has been consistently key in winning crucial rounds for Fnatic, especially vs Leviatán. Enzo had a 17% clutch percentage and won eight out of 46 clutches. Enzo's clutches were some of the most memorable and impactful in the event.
His clutch defuses to keep Fnatic in the series and was one of the best plays of the entire event. Enzo lacked consistent firepower, but he made up for it with his beautiful clutches, great site-anchoring, and fantastic utility usage.
2) Mindfreak
XERXIA's Natchaphon "Sscary" Matarat was often rated as the best controller from Asia and Pacific heading into this Valorant Masters, but Aaron "Mindfreak" Leonhart left the event as the superior APAC controller player.
Mindfreak had a spectacular showing in Copenhagen as Paper Rex made history, becoming the first-ever APAC team to reach the grand finals of an international event. While most of the focus when watching Paper Rex go towards the superstar duo of Jinggg and Forsaken, Mindfreak made sure to leave an impact with his supernatural lurks and ice-cold clutches.
Mindfreak had the highest clutch percentage at the tournament, with a 35% clutch rate. He won 12 of the 34 clutches he found himself in.
Mindfreak received widespread praise from the community for his continuous improvement over various LAN events. When Paper Rex made their international debut during the Valorant 2021 Masters Stage 3: Berlin Mindfreak was considered one of the team's weak links.
He has now solidified his spot as the clutch player for Paper Rex and a world-class controller. Mindfreak will be the X-Factor for the APAC giants if they want to make a similar run at Champions this September.
1) Shao
There was no doubt when writing this article on who would take the number one spot. If a player personified the word 'clutch,' it was FunPlus Phoenix's Andrey "Shao" Kiprsky. The Russian player took the Valorant esports scene by storm after his exceptional performance in Copenhagen.
Shao was one of the key factors driving FPX's tenacious lower bracket run to win the title. His Fade gameplay looked a cut above the rest, and his utility usage on the newly released agent was gorgeous to watch. The most standout aspect of his skillset was his crisp aim and clutch factor.
Shao was an absolute demon personified to win clutches for FPX. He got many rounds on the board that FPX had no business winning. Shao's clutches were one of the most important factors in FPX's run to the throne.
Shao found himself in 83 clutches, the highest for any player at the event. He was also unsurprisingly the player who won the most, with 21 clutches winning. He ended the tournament with a 25% clutch percentage, the fifth highest.
Shao also boasted a 218.6 ACS, the highest-rated initiator at the event, proving that he was not just a clutch player but also a consistent fragger for FPX. He had a 77% KAST and a ridiculous 35% headshot accuracy across the 554 rounds FPX played at the tournament.
FPX is looking like one of the favorites heading into Champions. Shao's clutch factor and consistency will be a critical piece of the puzzle if FPX wants to replicate its Copenhagen success story in Istanbul.
Overall, the Copenhagen Masters might be the most exciting Valorant international event to date, from featuring fans for the first time to fantastic marquee matchups.
Although the event was the lowest-viewed event in Valorant history, the games played were nothing short of exciting. With the new map Pearl likely available at Champions, things are about to get very interesting at the year's biggest event.
Note: This article reflects the opinion of the writer.
