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Global Esports is out of the Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) APAC Stage 2 Challengers after the loss against Rex Regam Qeon (RRQ). With this defeat, South Asia's journey in the competition has also come to an end. It is another heartbreaking day for South Asian Valorant fans as their favorite teams failed to perform once again on the international stage.
Enigma Gaming took an early exit from the event in the Play-Ins and today, with Global Esports' elimination, South Asia's journey in the competition has finally come to an end.
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South Asian Valorant fans are disappointed with Enigma Gaming and Global Esports' performance. It was the first time when the South Asian side failed to manage a single win (GE defeated Damwon Gaming KIA while VLT defeated Oblivion Force in the previous two events) in the VCT event.
But what are the reasons behind the South Asian team's poor performance on the international stage? In this article, we will try to assess some of the areas that might be a major reason behind these awful performances:
What are South Asian Valorant teams doing wrong on the international stage?
Global Esports and Enigma Gaming were the two teams who represented the region in the APAC Stage 2 Challengers. Both finished in the top two spots of the AMD Skyesports Valorant Champions Series (SCS), with Global Esports lifting the title by beating Enigma Gaming in the Grand Finals.
However, both teams qualified for the APAC Stage 2 Challengers. Enigma Gaming started their journey in Play-Ins whereas Global Esports received a direct slot to the Group Stage.
Enigma Gaming made an early exit from the competition after losing back-to-back against Made in Thailand and Cerberus Esports in the Play-Ins. Both matches ended in close margins but that was not enough.
Meanwhile, Global Esports lost against Alter Ego and RRQ in their first two games of the Group Stage. The South Asian champion looked a bit shaky in both matches and was eventually eliminated from the competition.
All South Asian Valorant teams have enough potential to outclass those from any region on their best days. Each player and team is very talented and has the potential to compete on the international stage. However, there are still some issues that are turning out to be fatal against the top SEA teams.
1) Not enough international exposure
To be the best, a team needs to compete against the best on a daily basis. South Asian Valorant teams only face elite sides in the VCT events. Apart from that, they hardly get any chance to play against the top SEA teams for the rest of the year. Although the teams play against these sides on scrims, it is not enough to compete at the same level.
Riot needs to look into this matter seriously if they want worldwide growth of the game. South Asia has a lot to offer on the international stage and the teams have proved that from time to time in the past. Third-party event organizers can also come forward and host multiple events throughout the year involving all APAC teams.
2) Frequent roster changes
A team needs time to settle down and build synergy among the players. In a game like Valorant, where a side needs perfect communication in-game, teams need time to synchronize themselves on the same wavelength.
However, most South Asian organizations become impatient very quickly and are reluctant to give time to the team. Most teams go through a roster shuffle after a few bad events. The greed of getting instant success is hitting the South Asian teams hard on the international stage.
3) Lack of utility usage in-game
In a game like Valorant, perfect ability-usage has a vital role in determining the result. The game is designed as an amalgamation of both abilities and tactical shooting and this makes it more unique compared to other FPS titles in the market.
A team needs to use their utility with perfect timing and planning. Perfect ability usage can also secure a round for the team as well.
However, South Asian Valorant teams need to be more impactful with their utility usage in the future. Other SEA teams are doing it more purposefully and it has been a major issue in South Asian teams' failure on the international stage.
4) Failing to close-out maps
This has been a major issue for the South Asian Valorant teams in all three VCT events. Global Esports' loss against Korea's F4Q in APAC LCQ in 2021, Velocity Gaming's loss against Full Sense & South Built Esports in the APAC Stage 1 Challengers, and Enigma Gaming's loss against Made in Thailand & Cerberus Esports in the latest event are prime examples.
Teams have choked every time after taking a comprehensive lead and reaching the match-point.
Teams are usually in a high-pressure situation at these moments. Players need to be calm enough and hold their nerves to close out the game. The South Asian Valorant sides have failed to do so most of the time and teams need to work on this more before the next VCT event.
5) Under-developed ecosystem
The esports industry in the region is growing at a rapid pace. With several investors showing interest in esports, this is surely going to flourish further in the new future. However, we are still more behind than the rest of the SEA region and PC esports has not grown enough the way mobile esports has grown over the last few years. This is directly affecting the esports ecosystem in the region.
Organizations, investors, and other influential people in the community need to work together to grow the ecosystem so that new talents won't go to waste and can be nurtured successfully.
It will not be an easy task to change things up in a single day. Everyone needs to take baby-steps at a time to shine on the international stage as well in the near future. Fans also need to back their teams on both their ups and downs to keep them motivated for the upcoming tournaments.
