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Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) 2022 is set to kick off its first major tournament of the year with the Masters: Reykjavik. Twelve of the world's best teams will convene in Iceland to face off on LAN and determine the best region in Valorant.
Representatives from each of the 7 regions in Valorant have competed in their respective Challengers stages and vanquished their regional opposition to earn a coveted slot at the Masters: Reykjavik.
Being the first LAN event of the year, we are yet to see the prowess each region is expected to bring about, as well as the improvements each team has made since their previous LAN encounter.
Some of the usual suspects have aced their regional Challengers to claim a spot at the Masters. However, several teams have gone through various changes, with some entering the tournament for the first time in their careers.
This article will highlight 5 teams at the VCT 2022 Stage 1 Masters: Reykjavik who will be competing in the tournament as the underdogs.
Top 5 underdog teams in VCT 2022 Stage 1 Masters: Reykjavik
5) Zeta Division
Zeta Division, formerly known as Absolute Jupiter, is Japan's sole representative at the Masters: Reykjavik. Since their formation, they have witnessed considerable success in regional Valorant, consistently ranking as one of Japan's top teams.
Japanese teams, however, have witnessed the least success in VCT history, as only two teams have qualified for Riot's last 3 international events. On top of that, Zeta Division is yet to win its first match in a VCT LAN event. After their Masters: Berlin defeat, they had a major overhaul in December, where the team bid farewell to 4 of their members.
Zeta Division returns to top-tier action at the Stage 1 Masters, following an 8-match unbeaten run in the Stage 1 Japan Challengers. Being the top team in Japan, they aim to continue their win streak and revive their region's hopes for a championship with their performance in the Masters: Reykjavik.
4) XERXIA
One of the 2 APAC (Asia-Pacific) contestants at the Masters: Reykjavik is the newly formed XERXIA. The organization was formed in January from the ashes of the X10 Crit of Valorant Champions fame and comprises of 4 of their former members.
APAC was one of the most underrated regions at Valorant Champions due to the region's poor performance in previous VCT events. However, X10 Crit managed to turn it around by defeating one of the top NA teams to qualify for the playoffs. Upon retaining a majority of the roster, XERXIA aims to achieve the same.
Since its formation, XERXIA has been successful in rising through the ranks of APAC, finishing the Stage 1 Challengers as runners-up to Paper Rex. The team lost only 3 matches in the process. Heading into the Masters, XERXIA is expected to continue its incredible form and put up a menacing performance for opponents from all over the world.
3) DRX
DRX is Korea's only representative at the Masters: Reykjavik. Formerly known as Vision Strikers, DRX's roster has consistently been one of the best in South Korea. They made their mark in international VCT events with their performances in the Masters: Berlin and Valorant Champions 2021.
Korea has been one of the most successful Asian regions in Valorant, with NUTURN Gaming finishing 3rd in the VCT 2021 Masters: Reykjavik and Vision Strikers finishing in the top 8 in Berlin.
Since Vision Strikers' acquisition by DRX, they have had an incredible set of matches leading to the Masters: Reykjavik, losing only one of their Stage 1 KR Challengers matchups. DRX aims to take on opposition from all over the world and return to Korea with the first-ever Masters title for the region.
2) Paper Rex
Originally from Singapore, Paper Rex is an organization that qualified for the Masters: Reykjavik as champions of the VCT APAC Challengers stage. Teams from APAC (SEA) were able to progress further than regions like NA at the Valorant Champions 2021. That being said, Paper Rex is one of the dominating forces that other regions should look out for at Reykjavik.
Predominantly a young roster, Paper Rex has the hopes of Southeast Asian Valorant enthusiasts riding on them as they lifted the APAC Challengers trophy after defeating XERXIA, one of the region's strongest teams. They are yet to be defeated as they currently enjoy a 12-match unbeaten run after winning all of their Challengers matchups leading up to the tournament.
Compared to XERXIA, Paper Rex has had minimal VCT experience, as Masters Berlin was their only international event. Despite facing consecutive defeats in their previous Masters' encounter, Paper Rex hopes to turn it around at Reykjavik by leveraging their playoffs spot for a shot at the Stage 1 Masters title.
1) LOUD
LOUD enters VCT 2022 Stage 1 Masters: Reykjavik as Brazil's top representative. The organization was formed only in February 2022 and is the newest organization competing in the tournament. LOUD comprises former members of notable Brazilian rosters and leads the region as their best hope for a Masters title.
After Brazil's victory in the South American playoffs, LOUD qualified straight into the tournament's playoffs bracket. Brazilian teams have displayed their efforts in previous VCT events. However, the region is yet to make a mark on Riot's international tournament circuit, as the last time a Brazilian team made it to the top 8 was at last year's Masters: Reykjavik.
Being a new roster, LOUD has minimal experience as a team. However, they have had a monumental experience so far as a squad, winning all of their regional Challengers matches. That being said, LOUD is yet to lose an official match as a team and has entered the tournament's playoffs bracket to improve Brazil's chances of Masters victory.
