Professional VALORANT Champions: A Stage for Rivalries and Trash Talk
Professional VALORANT reaches its pinnacle at Champions, where teams compete for the world championship title and players strive to prove their worth on tier-one VCT rosters.
Champions not only crowns a champion, but also answers some burning questions. Will Fnatic dominate this year? Can Something from Paper Rex live up to the hype? When will the China takeover happen? And when will Sentinels play?
The Rise of Regional Rivalries
Champions is not just a culmination of stories in professional VALORANT, it also sparks new narratives. One prominent theme at this event is the growing regional rivalries, fueled by players and even Riot embracing the idea of trash talk. Finally, rivalries have taken center stage.
Evil Geniuses: The Villains We Need
Every story needs a hero and a villain, and at Champions 2023, Evil Geniuses have fully embraced their role as the dark side of competitive VALORANT. Boostio, the bad boy of NA VALORANT, has led the charge in becoming the new mouthpiece for the team. Here are some highlights:
1. Boostio boldly claimed that China “will never be better than North America,” although he may not have informed NRG about it.
2. At the pre-tournament press conference, Boostio expressed his fondness for Group B, deeming it “easy.”
3. Boostio predicted that they would only allow FPX to win eight rounds, clarifying later that he meant eight rounds per map.
4. Boostio criticized every EMEA team except Fnatic, dismissing the region as fraudulent.
Boostio’s trash talk has not gone unanswered. Bilibili’s Knight responded to Boostio’s comments about China, suggesting that the remarks would be more valid coming from Boaster, and implied that maybe EG would have performed better in Masters Tokyo with Boaster as their IGL.
Boaster himself defended EMEA and the Chinese teams, expressing a desire to face EG in the playoffs and strike back. Paper Rex also got involved, with f0rsaken stating that they want to beat EG early on because of their arrogance.
Fans Relish the Drama
The trash talk and rivalries have heightened fan engagement. Supporters not only want to see their favorite teams triumph but also see them triumph over the arrogant ones. The VALORANT community on platforms like Twitter, Reddit, and VLR is buzzing with hopes for EG’s downfall in the playoffs.
If EG were to stumble and lose, they would accept it. Boostio and Demon1 understand the risks involved, and the notion that trash talk is only valid if backed up by performance is irrelevant. In fact, EG has already backed up their talk with a 2-0 start and a spot in the playoffs. And if they were to win it all, the anticipation for the next season would be off the charts, as fans from different regions eagerly await someone to knock EG off their pedestal.
Embrace the Drama
Trash talk and rivalries add excitement to esports and keep fans engaged in the long term. Having someone to root against enhances the experience, as long as it remains within acceptable boundaries.
Ultimately, Champions is not just about crowning a champion; it’s a stage for rivalries, drama, and the timeless conflict between heroes and villains.
professional VALORANT, Champions, rivalries, Evil Geniuses, Boostio, regional rivalries, trash talk, fan engagement, esports drama