Welcome back to DDenied's 2024: Pacific 10, a countdown of the top 10 players in the Pacific region for 2024. For fans of other regions, don’t worry—each International League has its own list, and there’s also a combined Global 20 for the year.
Disclaimer: All stats are sourced from VLR.gg, and any rating mentioned refers to VLR Rating 2.0. It's important to note that events held in China were not fully tracked by VLR, leading to missing statistics. As a result, the average ratings for each player are calculated only from events where VLR data is available, which excludes all events in China. This skews the yearly averages, particularly for players in the China league.
Munchkin: The Mastermind of Pacific’s First International Trophy
Pacific Number: 5
Global Number: N/A
Average Rating: 1.04
Age: 26
Nationality: Korean
Munchkin, the seasoned Korean in-game leader (IGL), made a bold move in 2024, swapping the jersey of Korean giants T1 for the ambitious rebuild of Gen.G. Tasked with leading the new Korean superteam to challenge DRX and bring home an international trophy for the Pacific region, Munchkin not only stepped into a new role as a flex player but also demonstrated his leadership prowess on the global stage.
The year began with a bang for Munchkin and Gen.G. Despite a second-place finish in their group, they stormed through the playoffs, dethroning DRX and exacting revenge on Paper Rex to secure their first-ever VCT trophy. For Munchkin, this victory was particularly sweet, marking his first major win of the partnership era.
Munchkin's tactical genius continued to shine at Masters Madrid. Under his guidance, Gen.G navigated the tournament undefeated until the grand final, where they fell to Sentinels. Nevertheless, it was a landmark achievement for Munchkin and his team, as it was their first time reaching such heights on the international stage. Back in the Pacific region for Stage 1, Gen.G narrowly escaped their group before finishing as runners-up to PRX in the final. This second-place finish still secured their spot at Masters Shanghai.
At Masters Shanghai, Munchkin led Gen.G to yet another grand final, this time with the weight of their Madrid loss on their shoulders. Displaying an IGL masterclass, Munchkin orchestrated a stunning five-map victory over Team Heretics, securing the first and only international trophy for the Pacific region in Valorant.
Stage 2 saw Gen.G reclaim domestic dominance, going undefeated in the playoffs to earn a spot at Champions in Seoul. Expectations were sky-high for the home soil event, but Gen.G found themselves in the "group of death" alongside Sentinels, Heretics, and FPX. Despite a valiant effort, they finished third in the group, missing out on the playoffs and concluding their year on a bittersweet note.
Links
Global Number 20
Pacific Number 6
China Number 5
PS
If you missed any of the other 8th places yesterday just click on the link for Pacific Number 10 and from there you can access the other ones.
Discord