VALORANT Champions Tour Europe: Power Rankings for VCT Masters One
Phase one of the VALORANT Champions Tour is nearing its conclusion in Europe, as eight teams gear up for the first Masters event. Four teams secured their spots through Challengers Two, while the other four qualified via Challengers Three.
For those who have been following the double-elimination brackets in North America, the format in Europe is quite different. The eight teams that make it to the Challengers closed qualifier compete in a single-round, single-elimination bracket. In this format, there are only four matches, with the winner of each match advancing.
In terms of sample size, there are fewer matches in Europe compared to North America. However, there is enough data to rank all eight teams heading into VCT Masters Europe. Here are our power rankings for Masters One in Europe:
1) Team Heretics
2) FunPlus Phoenix
3) Ninjas in Pyjamas
4) Guild Esports
5) Alliance
6) ex-DfuseTeam
7) Ballista Esports
8) Raise Your Edge Gaming
Standing strong, looking scary: Team Heretics, FunPlus Phoenix, Ninjas in Pyjamas
Team Heretics, FunPlus Phoenix, and Ninjas in Pyjamas have all secured their spots in Masters at the first opportunity in the Challengers Two closed qualifier. These three teams are likely to compete in the later stages of the Masters bracket, and it’s highly possible that the two teams to advance to Masters Two will come from this group.
Team Heretics, the reigning First Strike champions in Europe, have had continued success in recent events. Despite missing out on the first Challengers qualifier, they confidently secured their spot in the second open qualifier and dominated their matches. FunPlus Phoenix (FPX) and Ninjas in Pyjamas (NiP) were also impressive in both Challengers events, with NiP defeating the consensus best team in Europe, G2 Esports, on two occasions. FPX only lost one map throughout the events and recovered to secure their spot in Masters.
Mildly shaky, but still solid: Alliance and Guild Esports
Alliance narrowly missed out on the closed qualifier in Challengers One but eventually secured their spot in Masters. Guild Esports had a similar journey, facing setbacks before qualifying for Challengers Two and eventually making it to Masters. Both teams have struggled against top-tier squads, and Alliance is currently without a full roster after dropping a player.
Little to analyze, plenty to prove: ex-DfuseTeam, Ballista Esports, Raise Your Edge Gaming
Teams like G2, Fnatic, and OG are not participating in Masters because these teams defeated them. The ex-DfuseTeam roster formed in July and has since proven themselves by defeating top names in the open qualifier. Ballista Esports, the lone Polish squad in Masters, formed late in January but managed to secure their spot through strong performances. Raise Your Edge Gaming, an international roster, had a somewhat bumpy journey but ultimately impressed in the closed series against OG.
These teams have smaller sample sizes, but they have proven they can defeat teams considered “better” than them. In just a few days, starting on March 12, these teams will battle it out to determine the best in Europe at VCT Masters One.
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Related keywords: VALORANT, Champions Tour, VCT Masters, Europe, Team Heretics, FunPlus Phoenix, Ninjas in Pyjamas, Guild Esports, Alliance, ex-DfuseTeam, Ballista Esports, Raise Your Edge Gaming.