VCT 2023: 5 Valorant teams to look out for in 2023

With a heavily eventful year closing its curtains, the much-anticipated VCT 2023 season will commence soon, paving the way for pro and semi-pro Valorant teams to compete and prove their worth. While the semi-pro system will kick off next week, the pro system will begin with an introductory tournament next month.

The VCT partnership program features thirty franchised teams who will fight their way through territorial international leagues and a Masters International tournament to qualify for the Valorant Champions 2023. Each region will also have a Last Chance Qualifier to determine three wild card entries.

As fans may know, the upcoming pro system will feature nail-biting matchups and fuel extremely engaging competitive plays from top teams worldwide. Amidst the anticipation for VCT 2023, let's take a look at some promising Valorant teams who deserve the fandom's attention this VCT season.

Here are five Valorant teams to look out for in VCT 2023

1) NRG (Americas League)

NRG acquired the OpTiC Gaming core, consisting of FNS, Victor, Crashies, and head coach Chet for their new Valorant roster. The organization retained Som, a long-standing member of the team, and welcomed former FunPlus Phoenix player, Ardiis, to complete their VCT 2023 roster.

OpTiC Gaming collected massive feats last year when they placed second in the Champions Istanbul 2022. FNS, Victor, and crashies guarantee a strong, experienced NRG core. Ardiis also collected adequate international experience while on FunPlus Phoenix, who placed fourth in Champions Istanbul.

With five highly-experienced players and a confident coach on hand, NRG is certainly one of the top American Valorant teams at present. The current roster comprises:

Pujan “FNS” Mehta [IGL]
Victor “Victor” Wong
Austin “crashies” Roberts
Ardis “Ardiis” Svarenieks
Sam "s0m" Oh
Zander “thwifo” Kim [6th man]

2) 100 Thieves (Americas League)

The Stellar-led professional Valorant team of North America has proved its capability in the past, despite the hurdles it had to overcome. 100 Thieves made it to the Champions Istanbul 2022 after placing first in the North American Last Chance Qualifiers. That said, they fumbled and exited the competition early.

Even though they struggled to perform in certain areas, the roster displayed utmost discipline and utilized their top-notch synergy to give their opponents a hard time.

After the acquisition of former XSET player Cryocells, the roster looks stronger than ever and is definitely one of the most promising teams in the imminent VCT 2023. The current roster comprises:

Peter "Asuna" Mazuryk
Derrek "Derrek" Ha
Brenden "stellar" McGrath [IGL]
Matthew "Cryocells" Panganiban
Sean "bang" Bezerra

3) Fnatic (EMEA League)

Fnatic needs no introduction when it comes to professional Valorant. The team has proven its consistency and discipline time and again, with Boaster serving as the in-game leader. However, the roster recently underwent some changes owing to the upcoming VCT 2023 and its partnership leagues.

Iconic athletes Boaster and Derke are here to stay until 2026 as the organization extended their contracts back in September. Alfajer was acquired for the roster back in May and will participate in VCT 2023. Additionally, Fnatic recently signed former M3 Champions athlete Chronicle and former Guild Esports player Leo to complete their VCT 2023 roster.

Fnatic has always been a dominating presence in the EMEA Valorant scene. With this overhaul, the Boaster-led roster will likely impress fans in VCT 2023 with new strategies and outplays. Here's what it looks like:

Jake "Boaster" Howlett (IGL)
Nikita "Derke" Sirmitev
Emir "Alfajer" Ali Beder
Leo "Leo" Jannesson
Timofey "Chronicle" Khromov

4) NAVI (EMEA League)

Natus Vincere, or NAVI, acquired most of FunPlus Phoenix's VCT 2022 roster to set up their VCT 2023 camp. The popular esports organization also acquired former Acend player cNed, known for dominating Duelist plays, to complete the roster.

FunPlus Phoenix placed fourth after losing a nail-biting matchup against DRX in the semi-finals of the Champions Istanbul 2022. Acquiring the FPX core would mean a great deal for NAVI. With players like SUYGETSU, Zyppan, Shao, and ANGE1, NAVI's Valorant roster already has adequate synergy and international experience to begin with.

Fans can definitely expect a baffling performance from the present-day NAVI roster, which comprises:

Kyrylo "ANGE1" Karasov
Andrey "Shao" Kiprsky
Pontus "Zyppan" Eek
Dmitry "SUYGETSU" Ilyushin
Mehmet "cNed" Yağız İpek

5) DRX (Pacific League)

DRX managed to impress its massive fan base with their dominating performance throughout VCT 2022. The roster managed to grab the third spot in the Champions Istanbul 2022, after defeating major competitors.

DRX's Valorant roster didn't undergo any changes for VCT 2023, except for the addition of a sixth man. It's understandable, considering all the players are in their prime form.

DRX is expected to be among the best-performing Valorant teams in the international Pacific circuit this year. The current roster comprises:

Kim “Stax” Gu-taek
Goo “Rb” Sang-Min
Kim “Zest” Gi-seok (IGL)
Yu “BuZz” Byung-chul
Kim “MaKo” Myeong-kwan
Jung “Foxy9” Jae-sung

Edited by Ritoban "Veloxi" Paul