VALORANT Champions Tour Continues to Shine in 2022
The second year of the VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) is already shaping up to be a promising one. Following a successful first season, VCT is back in 2022, introducing national development leagues and a switch to round-robin league-style play for the Challengers series.
North America Stands Out in VCT
North America stands out as a region to watch closely. In 2021, NA events garnered impressive viewership numbers, and NA teams made their mark in the first two international VALORANT LANs at Masters Reykjavík and Masters Berlin. However, NA’s performance at Champions fell short, with top tournament favorites Sentinels, Envy, and Cloud9 Blue not making it past the group stage and quarterfinals.
Young Talent to Watch in NA VCT
As we look ahead to VCT 2022, let’s highlight some of the young VALORANT players who have the potential to become top competitors in North America in the coming years. We’ll focus on teams that earned VCT points during the 2021 season, considering the open qualifiers couldn’t be thoroughly assessed.
XSET Zekken: 16 years old
Zachary “Zekken” Patrone, a 16-year-old player, represents XSET, a relatively young esports organization. Zekken, who was not yet a pro when VALORANT was released, had to watch streams to gain access to the closed beta. However, once he got his hands on the game, he made a strong impression. Joining XSET in the summer of 2021, Zekken made an immediate impact, contributing to the team’s victories over Sentinels and 100T in the first Challengers event of Stage Three. Despite his young age, Zekken has already showcased remarkable skills across multiple agents and can handle high-pressure situations.
100T Asuna: 18 years old
At just 18 years old, Peter “Asuna” Mazuryk of 100 Thieves emerged as a standout player among accomplished veterans. Asuna’s performance on duelists like Reyna and Jett played a crucial role in 100T’s success. Throughout VCT 2021, he maintained an impressive ACS rating and delivered exceptional performances in important matches, particularly against Gambit and Acend at Masters Berlin.
TSM Bang: 17 years old
While currently listed as “inactive” on the TSM roster, Sean “bang” Bezerra is a young player expected to participate in VCT Challengers events in 2022. With his potential, it wouldn’t be surprising to see other teams taking a chance on the 17-year-old. Joining TSM in late June 2021, bang made a breakout performance at the final Challengers main event. He has consistently showcased his skills, both as a reliable site anchor and a battle Sage.
Other Notable Young Players in NA VCT
- Version1 penny: 18 years old
- Rise Shanks: 19 years old
- Sentinels TenZ: 20 years old
- Gen.G Shawn: 20 years old
- FaZe ZachaREEE: 20 years old
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