5 dark horse players to look out for at upcoming Valorant Champions 2022

The Valorant Champions will host 16 of the best-performing teams from the circuit this year. 2022 also marks the end of an official tournament circuit free of franchising.

Hence, all qualified sides are expected to put up their best fights to pick up the prestigious title before the partnership program kicks in.

Valorant esports will drastically change next year once the partnership program starts. A new game mode was also announced that is expected to cater to new players, helping them enter the esports scene.

Riot Games hasn't clarified things for the tier-2 scene yet, leaving organizations hanging in the air. The lack of a franchising process has so far fostered many dark horse athletes and teams on the circuit, and some are set to showcase their potential in the upcoming Valorant Champions 2022.

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Five pros who could make a splash at the Valorant Champions 2022

1) EDward Gaming's Zmjjkk

A huge part of a lesser-known team, EDward Gaming, Zmjjkk has a quirky name but showcases extremely promising skills in competitive Valorant.

He mains Chamber and Raze, being either the Sentinel or a Duelist for his team. His stats show an impressive 283 ACS and a headshot percentage of 21.5%.

EDward Gaming qualified for the VCT 2022 via the East Asia LCQ. Following the team's dominating performance in previous tournaments, many looked out for the side and its star, Zmjjkk, in the LCQ.

Zmjjkk is a clutch master everyone will want to keep an eye on at the Valorant Champions 2022.

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2) LOUD's Aspas

Another dark horse gamer to look out for in the VCT 2022, Aspas picks frags for LOUD Gaming like no one else. He is a Duelist and mainly plays Jett, but fans have also witnessed him selecting Chamber and Raze.

LOUD Gaming qualified for the Champions through Circuit Points and has made it to both Masters stages this year. Aspas has seldom lost any 1v1 fights in the tournament so far, and it will be interesting to see how his team paves the way for him to pick the cleanest headshots at the Valorant Champions 2022.

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3) BOOM's fl1pzjder

Boom Esports qualified for the Valorant Champions 2022 through the APAC LCQ after a dominating performance against all contenders. While all its players have gun power, the team also executes massively unpredictable, mostly successful strategies, all thanks to their IGL, fl1pzjder.

He is known to main Chamber and Killjoy, providing the best support for his team to perform well. He also possesses tremendous gun power and has clutched several rounds using intense mind games.

His presence makes it interesting to watch the APAC dark horse take on the top teams in the Valorant Champions 2022.

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4) Leviatán's Melser

Melser gained popularity due to his impeccable clutches against XSET in the VCT Masters 2 Copenhagen. His team gained direct entry to the upcoming Valorant Champions through Circuit Points.

Melser plays the role of a Controller for his team, maining Astra, Brimstone, Viper, and Omen. His strategic execution is very unpredictable, perfect for the role he assumes.

Fans expect Melser to display the true potential of his mind games again at the Valorant Champions 2022.

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5) Zeta Division's SugarZ3ro

SugarZ3ro is a Controller main for Zeta Division and is a mind games expert. He is known to offer incredible support to his team with smokes and has even clutched a few impossible rounds with impeccable utility usage.

SugarZ3ro's ACS stat is applaudable, even though he assumes the role of a Controller. He has been a significant reason behind many of Zeta Division's wins in the circuit so far.

The pro is one of the top dark horse players fans shouldn't miss in the upcoming Valorant Champions 2022.

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Disclaimer: This article reflects the opinions of the writer.