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Valorant Champions is the last official VCT event every year. Top teams from all over the world compete to get their hands on the game's biggest trophy of the year. After the recent changes due to franchising, the way to qualify for this event is slightly different. Teams that have finished at higher positions in their respective franchised league have made it directly to Champions.
The remaining teams got a chance to fight out for one remaining spot through LCQ (Last Chance Qualifiers). However, China had its own regional event due to not having any franchise system in place yet.
There have been plenty of LAN events that have taken place this year. The top-tier leagues demanded high-level performances, which some players have delivered time and again.
After the recent Masters Tokyo event and the LCQ, many players look deadly going into Champions. Below is a list of five such Controller players to look out for in Valorant Champions 2023
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Note: This article is subjective and solely reflects the writer's opinions.
SugarZ3ro, MaKo, and three more Controller players to keep an eye on during Valorant Champions 2023
1) SugarZ3ro
Shota SugarZ3ro Watanabe is a Japanese esports player who plays for ZETA DIVISION, competing in the Pacific region.
SugarZ3ro joined ZETA DIVISION in late 2021. He made quite a name for himself regionally but truly stepped up during his first international debut in VCT Stage 1: Masters Reykjavik in 2022. In this event, he became known as SugarHero, the player who clutched out rounds for his team and saved them when they most needed it.
After an underwhelming showing during the Regular Season of the VCT Pacific League, the team pushed through LCQ and qualified for Champions. SugarZ3ro played well during this event by keeping a calm and level head and clutching out rounds for his team. With him back on the international stage, there are chances viewers will get to see his 'SugarHero' phase again.
2) s0m
Sam "s0m" Oh is an American esports player who plays for NRG Esports and competes in the Americas region.
s0m has been a Valorant pro player for NRG Esports for quite some time. However, he didn't get his big break until NRG made it to franchising. After NRG Esports shaped its roster completely, s0m got an opportunity to go to international events and showcase his talents at the highest level.
In the entirety of 2023, s0m has been NRG's most consistent player. At VCT Masters Tokyo, s0m had an ACS (Average Combat Score) of 209.3. With every event, s0m has looked better, and Valorant Champions will be a big test for him.
3) Melser
Marco "Melser" Amaro is an esports player from Chile who currently plays for KRÜ Esports, which competes in the Americas region. He has mainly played the role of a Controller for his team but has also played as a Sentinel, such as Sage, or Initiator, like Sova, when needed.
Melser impressed everyone with his international debut performance in VCT Stage 2: Masters Copenhagen. He would make intelligent plays and clutch out rounds for his team. After his move to KRÜ Esports for 2023, he and his team had a tough time throughout the year.
This was until LCQ, where Melser, as an IGL, took his team all the way to the finish line and qualified for Champions. He had a total ACS of 204.5 in the entire event and played four different Agents.
4) MaKo
Myeongkwan "MaKo" Kim is a South Korean esports player who plays for DRX that competes in the Pacific region. MaKo has mainly fulfilled the role of a Controller for his team but has also played as the Duelist, Jett, in the past.
MaKo and his team were always considered among Asia's best teams. However, it took a while for them to achieve the same status in international events. Today, DRX is considered one of the top Valorant teams in the world and is known widely for their discipline and set strategies.
MaKo is an incredible Controller player. Not only is his utility always on point, but he's also able to anchor the site by himself at times. MaKo has also been able to pull his team out of difficult situations through his sheer consistent performances. He is easily one of the best Controller players in the world.
5) mindfreak
Aaron "mindfreak" Leonhart is an Indonesian Valorant player who plays for Paper Rex that competes in the Pacific region.
mindfreak and Paper Rex have had a long journey of solidifying themselves as one of the best in the world. The W gaming style of Paper Rex has been very successful in Valorant esports.
However, there have been times when it has gone horribly wrong for the team. This is when mindfreak would snoop in and save the day by clutching out multiple rounds for his team.
mindfreak is cracked in his aim and very smart with utility. He is the X factor of a team that is already great at individual skill levels. mindfreak will be a big threat to the opposition teams during Valorant Champions 2023.
