Who were the 5 best Valorant Controllers of VCT 2023?

Modified Dec 31, 2023 12:39 GMT

Best Valorant Controller players of VCT 2023 (Image via Riot Games)

Controller players are among the most important parts of any team competing in the Valorant Champions Tour (VCT). Their utility helps the team get space and make sure that the gained areas remain under control. Controllers can double up the lurker on attack and site anchors on defense. VCT 2023 saw some excellent Controller players across the world.

This article talks about five of the best Valorant athletes specializing in the Controller role in 2023.

Note: This article is subjective and reflects the writer's opinions.

Best Valorant Controllers of VCT 2023

1) s0m

Sam "s0m" Oh was the primary Controller player for NRG Esports, one of the best teams in North America. He is an expert on several Agents in this role, but Omen and Astra are his go-to picks.

Before this season of Valorant esports kicked off, many fans doubted his ability to play at the professional level. However, his individual performance at LOCK//IN 2023 and, subsequently, the Americas League, put such thoughts to rest.

Even though NRG Esports did not have the best year in terms of results, s0m came out as one of the top Controllers from the season. Unfortunately for fans wishing to see him compete in the upcoming season, he decided to take a step back from professional esports to focus on streaming.

2) mindfreak

Aaron "mindfreak" Leonhart is the Controller for Paper Rex's Valorant team. Despite being part of a team with highly flexible roles, mindfreak has consistently been seen in the Controller role over the years. While he can switch between Controllers based on the map the team is playing, Astra is his most-played Agent.

mindfreak started slow in 2023 but quickly caught up, helping his team win the Pacific League, and put up excellent performances at international tournaments. He even opened up about his mental health in an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda towards the end of the league stage of VCT Pacific 2023.

3) Boaster

Fnatic Valorant's Jake "Boaster" Howlett is one of the best in-game leaders out there. He also happens to be an excellent Controller player. His playstyle differs slightly from others on this list since he is much more passive.

That said, his fragging power appeared much higher in VCT 2023 than before. He was also seen clutching many unwinnable rounds. Boaster is one of the best Brimstone players in the professional circuit, although he is proficient in using Astra and Omen's kit as well.

4) MaKo

When one thinks about the best Controller in Asia, the first name that would come to the minds of most fans is DRX's Kim "MaKo" Myeong-gwan. He is a versatile and reliable player, irrespective of his team's performance this season. Viper and Omen are his best Agents, but he is also proficient as Astra, Harbor, and Brimstone. On maps like Split, MaKo can be a menace for opponents to deal with, especially when he has a Judge.

DRX started the year strong but did not win any titles throughout it. Despite that, 2023 has been a fairly good year for MaKo, as he has put up numbers that match the best players in his category.

5) tuyz

Arthur "tuyz" Andrade from LOUD pioneered Harbor in the professional Valorant scene. Combined with Viper, the Indian Agent's full potential was explored by the Brazilian squad, who went on to win the Americas League. Aside from Harbor, Tuyz has played Omen in many matches throughout the 2023 VCT season.

tuyz is the youngest player on this list and has been retained by LOUD for their VCT 2024 run. It will be interesting to see how he performs in the upcoming year, now that he has more experience playing in LAN environments.