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For three years, many teams have had extraordinary runs in VCT events. These are the best parts of the events that get viewers invested and create some of the best moments. Due to these iconic runs, specific teams have formed a dedicated fanbase.
Many teams have made a dent in esports history through VCT international events. It could range from an underdog team from a major region making it to the top or even a team from a minor region, finally breaking through the community's doubts. Below is a list of the five teams with the best runs in VCT.
Note: This list is subjective and solely reflects the writer's opinions.
EDward Gaming's underdog run in Masters Tokyo and four more memorable runs in VCT history
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1) Sentinels win the first-ever VCT international event
In 2021, Sentinels was amongst the top teams in NA. After winning the Champions Tour North America Stage 2: Challengers Finals with their new teammate, TenZ, the team officially qualified for Valorant's first international event, VCT Stage 1: Masters Reykjavik.
Reykjavik was the first showing for all the top teams from the world on a global LAN stage. Sentinels performed well at this event. They played four matches and won all of them without dropping a single map, making them the first-ever global winners of Valorant. Sentinels set themselves as a dominant force in the initial years of VCT.
2) ZETA DIVISION's Cinderella run in Reykjavik
In 2022, pro teams started to form their own identity. However, one region hadn't been able to perform well on the international stage. This region was Japan, considered one of the weakest at the time. So when ZETA DIVISION made it to VCT Stage 1: Masters Reykjavik in 2022, viewers had low expectations of them, but their eventual performance silenced all critics.
ZETA DIVISION was able to make it to the Playoffs by beating Fnatic, and after being sent to the lower bracket of the Playoffs, they did not give up. The team had one of the most incredible runs as they made it to the 3rd place of the lower brackets, defeating the likes of Team Liquid, The Guard, and Paper Rex. ZETA DIVISION's Reykjavik run was inspirational, creating a vast Valorant fanbase in Japan.
3) Paper Rex's 3rd place finish in Masters Tokyo
Paper Rex made quite a name for itself in 2022. After having a rather disappointing showcase in Champions, Istanbul, and VCT LOCK//IN, the team decided to make some changes going into the VCT Pacific League. These changes led to the addition of their new star player, something into the main roster with CGRS as their 6th and Benkai as the benched player.
Unfortunately, something couldn't make it to Masters Tokyo, so it came down to the substitute, CGRS, to fill in. Due to this, many viewers counted Paper Rex out already, but the team did not back down. Paper Rex honed their W Gaming into Masters Tokyo and finished in 3rd place, defeating teams like DRX, EDward Gaming, and even NRG Esports. CGRS stepped up big time for his team and clutched out many rounds when the team needed it the most.
4) EDward Gaming's underdog run in Masters Tokyo
EDward Gaming is a Chinese esports team that debuted internationally during Valorant Champions 2022, Istanbul. The team had just finished their incredible LCQ run and won the event without dropping a map. Even though EDG got knocked out in the Group Stage, they showed great potential.
In 2023, they qualified for another international event, VCT Masters Tokyo. This is the event where the team exceeded everyone's expectations. EDward Gaming gave China their first international win against NAVI of all teams and became the first Chinese team to make it to the Playoffs stage.
The win streak didn't stop at NAVI as they beat the Americas League winner, LOUD, by 2-0 in the BO3 (Best of Three). Their Operator player, ZmjjKK, was having a monstrous performance and was quickly known as the world's best Operator player. EDward Gaming showed that Chinese teams were a force to be reckoned with in Valorant.
5) FPX's lower bracket run to win at Copenhagen
FPX was a team competing in the EMEA region back in 2022. The team was able to dominate the region to quickly became one of the top teams in EMEA and qualified for VCT Stage 2: Masters Copenhagen. Unfortunately, FPX's SUYGETSU wouldn't be able to play in their first few matches. This was a big blow to FPX, but they got past the Group Stage.
After making it to the Playoffs, they were immediately sent to the lower bracket due to a loss against Fnatic. But miraculously, SUYGETSU made it to Copenhagen and was allowed to play in the match. Here's when FPX turned the tables in their favor, as they had one of the most incredible runs in VCT history. They went on to win every series and eventually won their first trophy. The best part of the victory was that SUYGETSU's 4k on the final map of the Grand Finals won them the event.
