Envy goes to full rebuild around Ion and maybe D1 next offseason anyway.

Why give the team any attention when clearly they aren't anything notable?

what about the double negative and 3-10 defensive half to end the series after the only stat that is even average?

He can't shoot back.

title

Future C9 Sentinel player

Zekken Phoenix, Aspas Chamber, Tex figure it out

Reins is the only one I feel is actually irreplacable.

Benjy is on good form right now, so he probably is in that discussion too.

Woot is just too inconsistent with a head scratching agent pool.

Boo is so hard to rate.

I could see them running it back with minus Boo/coaching staff but keeping that core three because of the upside in fragging, but who would they do that with?

Boaster/Nats aren't going anywhere. You already have problems with language so it wouldn't be a Turkish player. Starxo or Cloud with their respective coaching staffs? IDK.

PCFC rebuild off to a good start

Duelist diffed by Navi acad on Neon

If he's not on Iso (dog agent) he's useless

Maybe TH can change roles around him for the third straight failed split!

2024 Champs is way in the past big dog. You can't just play Iso Gekko this meta.

Only if you're planning to play weird comps like the G2 Haven or Split where Leaf is on a flash character. Skuba is the best NA sentinel right now, and is also very good on Astra and Omen on double-smoke maps.

IGL/Smokes: Valyn
Initiator: Trent
Sentinel: Skuba
Entry: Jawgemo (would prob represent USA)
Flex/second Duel: Zekken

Can see arguments for Brawk, Leaf, Ethan, Crashies, Verno, Bang and Oxy

Let me rephrase

What useful agent is Woot good at?

What agents is Woot good at

CN loves their 6th man

Good point

Well of course, but what if your team is struggling with the secondary duelist? Maybe he's more of a scope player than a yoru/secondary entrant. I think Cryo and Babybay are two clear examples of that in NA. KK in CN, etc.

Ya you're right, I got my maps mixed up. I'm changing that.

Chamber seems to be good, not great on most maps. Useable, but never meta.

But similar to how Dambi's ability on Neon basically carried NS through APAC and eventually Masters, could a team with an elite chamber playing it every map work?

He's clearly a good option on Haven, Bind and Pearl

C9 farmed on him with both Demon1 and Oxy on Split

When the character was at its best, it was a must-pick on Breeze and Fracture.

I think the only questionable map would be Lotus, and that's just because he'll be more niche behind double duelist and/or viper and vyse.

If you had:

• a duelist who could solo entry
  • A scan initiator
  • A smokes main
  • And a flex who can play viper, but even also yoru/phoenix for the haven comp

I think it could actually work.

I wonder if teams like 100T, G2, RRQ, EDG or even T1 (with Meteor's struggles) would think about majoring in using Chamber on most maps.

Would love to see it happen from at least one semi-competitive team. I think 100T, G2 or RRQ are the best candidates for it.

In games like this there are agent/characters/champs that will always be inherintly swayed towards one portion of the playerbase than the other.

Overwatch: Mercy was user friendly, but dogshit compared to Lucio/Brig in pro play most of the time (I stopped watching around 2020 FYI)
League: Casuals love Garen, but it's almost always more impactful to have a Renekton or K'Sante.

In Valorant it's even more egregious when it comes to the uses of a Viper vs the uses of a Clove, or Reyna.

They have to make it so Viper is playable in non pro play as well, and outside of completely changing her kit, she's always going to inherently be better in a completely team style environment. Her wall is just too good. There's too much global presence.

It's similar with Omen because it's really hard to replace a character in your comp that adds both a flash and mobility. How many non-duelists have that?

Viper could clearly use a bit of a reduction on what makes her work as a sentinel (snakebite and vulnerable), and maybe Omen needs just one TP, but it's very difficult to keep them relevant in pro play and just regular valorant at the same time.

That doesn't go for every agent, though. Harbor, Kayo, Gekko, Breach, Deadlock, Veto are just not powerful enough, especially the initators and harbor.

Cypher and/or KJ need reworks. They're just too stale/plain with how they're adding in new sentinels.

Waylay and Neon are clearly overtuned, it's good they've already started to change Yoru.

But it's a really hard ask to change Viper, specifically.

I think a lot of people have very different takes on what 'duelist' counts as in some contexts.

I wouldn't put Yay as a duelist, honestly, and I would be hesitant to put either of Demon1 or cNed. It's just hard for me to put someone top 10 all time if they only succeeded at 1 duelist in 1 meta, and their second most notable agent is a sentinel.

It's no secret EMEA is behind in the meta and recently with international success. APAC had the two finalists, both of which have now won 2/3 events, and NA had the 3rd and 4th teams, and won champs last year. AG diffed M8 with duelist diff with Kira vs Bipo.

The teams that did make it out of EMEA were 2/3 inexperienced rosters who captured the double-duelist meta exceptionally. TL also did it decently well in a TL fashion.

Now that we know EMEA teams have to start adapting a bit more, what teams do you think have a higher double-duelist ceiling than previously unveiled?

FNC is an obvious one with Alfa and Kaajak, they should be more aggressive to get Alfa in duelist roles.
KC/Navi are both moving that way with new signings
Heretics and Vitality are both theoretically good at it, but I think we need to see it for real for real.
I don't think it fits the GX style at all
Likely one of the bottom feeder Turkish teams will also adapt better and see better results. It fits that regions playstyle better, and we've already seen it with BBL.

Higher ceiling team with KC and Navi for sure. Still a lot of SUPER individually talented players between the two with Ruxic, Hiro, N4rrate, dos9

Lowk did not see this LMAO

I guess their best bet is looking closer to T2.

Can we all accept that the Babybay fun is/has run its course?

The team is capped with him and his agent pool, and Jawgemo clearly is worse with him on the roster than with JonahP. No amount of content Smeag clips can change that. They clearly need to find a player that can work in double-duelist, but also doesn't hurt the rest of the roles if the meta changes?

So why not N4rrate?

EDIT: Because he's going to KC you moron, anyway.

They need someone who can play a secondary duelist and can flex into flash initiators or allow Leaf to play double-controller. I think N4rrate checks those boxes.

Outside of Zekken and Keiko (impossible to get), N4rrrate now going to KC, the best fit is probably someone like Okeanos, Boni or Satellite

Why is G2 picking Corrode over Bind?

Dambi and Mada are the only ones with even close to a positive rating on it on the international stage.

Dambi is just different.

Got the maps and bans right, just the order wrong.

Concerned for NRG against this NS Haven and it getting to the third map of a BO3

Hypothetical and optimal top 3 teams for NA, EU and PCF (not as familiar with CN teams/players)

NA:

NRG:
Ethan
Mada
Keiko
Skuba
Brawk

G2:
Valyn
Jawgemo
Babybay
Trent
Leaf

SEN-hybrid:
JohnQT
Aspas
Zekken
EEIU
Cortezia

H.M.: Verno, Koalanoob, Artzin

EU:

BBL
Rose
Lovers Rock
Lar0k
Loita
Crewen

FNC
Boaster
Kaajak
Alfa
Chronicle
Crashies

TL-Hybrid
Nats
Derke
Marteen
Hiro
Riens

H.M.: Minny, MiniBoo, Starxo

PAC:

PRX
D4V4I
Jingg
Something
F0rsaken
Invy

NS:
Rb
Dambi
Francis
Xross
Ivy

T1-Hybrid
Munchkin
Hyunmin
Izu
Karon
Meteor

H.M: Primmie, Patmen, Jemkin

Tried my best to keep it to two established teams and one hybrid team trying to bring the best players together. Might have missed a name or two on accident

What team takes home this LAN, and what would the Chinese teams look like? Which region looks best?

G2 ban Split
PRX ban Abyss

G2 pick Haven
PRX pick Corrode

PRX ban Breeze
G2 ban Pearl

Bind finish

Haven
Corrode
Bind

Ya but either way it's been a problem for them this year. 1-3 with the only win against GE, and they don't have a comp that works.

Needs to start with Jingg Raze no matter what

Would prefer Raze - Yoru - Fade - Brim - Viper, but can also see why you might want to put Something on Chamber/Veto

G2 ban Split
PRX ban Abyss

That's chalk, no reason it doesn't end like that.

G2 pick Haven
PRX pick Corrode (AG loss shouldn't hold too much weight, they played it close against the best Pearl team with very unique ideas. PRX killed G2 last time)

PRX ban Breeze (don't want to play G2 on it)
G2 ban Pearl (rarely play it)

Bind finish (relative unkowns for both squads, though G2 great in Americas and roles fit well)

Feels like one of those where either PRX wins 2-0 by being the better team on Bind, or it's an as expected 2-1 for G2 because they have more Bind comfort

NRG ban Corrode (NS far too good on it)
NS ban Pearl (It's their perma, and NRG elite on it)

NRG pick Abyss (even with L to BBL, it's a great map for them and the Tejo)
NS pick Haven (undefeated this year)

NRG ban Split (tough one, but they found something on Bind vs PRX, and NS has just one Breeze game all year)
NS ban Breeze (they let Bind through against M8)

Bind decider

Abyss
Haven
Bind

Lots of viper for Skuba, 3 different duelists for Mada, Ethan gets a Tejo map, Keiko full flex

Need to put Dambi on Neon Abyss if you want a chance, Ivy plays all three of his agents, 3 yoru maps for Francis

Abyss feels like the only map that HEAVILY favors one team, but it's hard to pick against NRG. Their only bad maps have been Corrode and Split, but they just beat BBL on that map with the Vyse, Neon comp. I could see NS picking that > Haven, though. Gets Brawk off sova as well.

Ya less about merit/performance and more just what this kind of swing of emotions in a 2 month stretch can do to a person

If only the six year old website that used to have this exact function gave you the ability to search for players from a specific country and their stats at the highest levels of play

Feel bad for Kyu. From academy team IGL to brushed to the side.

cooking that lean chicken

4 team trade

C9 + GMd, - Zellsis
MIBR + Zellsis, - Tex
EGA + Tex, - Mitch
M80 + Mitch, - GMd

Loud needs to fully commit to a BR only roster speaking Portugese. It's their brand. Keep Lux and Cauan. Give Xenom a shot. Find a T2 duelist.

Tex needs to be replaced by a very vocal non-IGL. Veteran vibes guy. They'll have better fraggin at duelist, smokes/secondary duel and initatior/igl every game they play. Mazino is a very very solid flex. If Tex is gonna suck AND not bring the vibes whats the point.

S2 2024: Carried through Stage 2 by Aspas and Mazino
2024 Champs: .86 rating in playoffs, horrible in elimination game
S1 2025: 9-10 team without Aspas to carry
S2 2025: .67 (!) rating in playoffs, by far the worst in Americas. Horrible in all 3 games. Worst player in Americas
2026: Gets gifted a roster spot on another super team and is yet again far and away the worst player. Lower rating than Zellsis. 165 ACS, .84 K/D. Worst player on any top-six team.

Sentinel player that has zero mastery on sentinel agents or viper. Supposedly second fragger whose often at the bottom, can't play duelist and is always gapped on chamber.

What kind of nepotism continues giving him roster spots? When was the last time he was a top-three player on his own team? Why do these super teams keep picking him up?

MIBR needs to bite the bullet and drop him ASAP. Shyy is somehow still in T2. Go get JonahP for all I care and put him on sentinel. Buy out the Lukxo contract. Even Fireballops would be better. You had Cortezia, and even Xenom for that matter, and still chose Tex. What are we doing?

Asuna smokes or Flex?

Gotcha.

Like I said I am not the most tapped in these days, just curious.

Seems like the F/A NA pool is pretty poor compared to years past, would you agree?

You'd assume they'd like to keep him and EEIU, find a duelist with a full agent pool and a smokes/flex IGL.

Keznit the most viable F/A at duelist?
Timotimo if they aren't promoted?

Not sure what the IGL options are. I'm not as tapped in as I used to be but I'd assume 100T wants to spend to make a championship roster after what NRG just did.

Roster would be with the idea that Demon1 is already on the team with tex, kingg and c0m.

good bar forgot about that, probably get some sort of veteran for a team that doesn't really have one. Would maybe say Gaabx or maybe Heat

Not gonna cover:
SEN (done)
G2 (done)
2G (gonna keep the same team)
MIBR, FUR, KRU and 100T (strong rumors that seem likely)

NA teams:

C9: v1C
Rossy 1 for 1 fills for Runi, has a deep enough agent pool that C9 can afford to add a second star next to Oxy. v1C 11th in VCL S2 in ADR and KPR (1st among controllers) and top 5 in Rating. Already filled with them and has flexibility, which means Moose Rossy and he can create great double controller or potential Kay/O comps for v1C

NRG: Mada
No brainer, by far the best player in VCL this year in any fragging stat and plays all 3 main duelists, something NRG lacked last year from their fraggers

EG: Icy
Hard to find a really star to replace Jawgemo but Icy fits best. Previously on the team and fills the style they like of a flexible duelist. Kidna hard to replace a top 3-5 Raze ITW but NA T2 does not have a guy better IMO

Lev: shrug emoji
What do you do with this team? Do they need a Raze player? Do they want Kingg to be a flex or a controller? Do they want someone to play viper or gekko? I have no clue. Best free agents by overall skill are probably the NRG boys, heat, xxif, brawk and M80 FA's, but I just don't know where you go

LOUD: Aspas and Prince/maybe Heat
Let the homecoming happen, where else are you gonna go Aspas? No but for real what does this team do? They have two controller mains and a guy that can hopefully IGL. No matter what they need a duelist and some flexibility, and Aspas needs a new home. Prince plays sentinel for them, probably the best available at this point. Could very much also see Heat

guy has never had a shower beer before

Nature is exactly .500 as a T1 IGL, that's the definition of a middle of the pack T1 IGL lmfao

Supamen sure he's nothing special but he holds his own, I'd rather have guys like Zander or Skuba but it doesn't mean he's not right on the cusp of T1/ T1.5 level.

Skuba's or V1c are good pivots if Zander isn't available as well

G2 is one of the most talented 1-5 teams in the world because Valyn is one of the best fragging IGLs in the game. They can afford to have a role-playing duelist if it allows for Trent and Leaf to play to their strengths. It's why NFL teams still pay the Jared Goff, Brock Purdy types. They've got the statistically best KJ Viper player and the best scan initiator in NA. Pair that with Valyn who's second in ACS and K/D on the team and a top 5 APR player in the region and you don't need to have the best player in the world on your duelist spot. He's young, willing to grind non-duelists and is, from reports, a good teammate. That's far more valuable than the 5th best fragging duelist in the region.