At the end of the day, this is my opinion, you are free to make your own list
I considered 4 factors:
- The performance itself - Rating, ACS, etc
- The Setting - the more prestigious the setting, the better
- How it holds up in the present day
- Other factors
Honorable Mentions (not ordered or ranked):
Yay Haven vs 100T
QCK Sunset vs EDG
Woot Sunset and Bind vs Navi
Woot Icebox vs FPX
Tehbotol Breeze vs Optic
Tenz Breeze vs F4Q
Aspas Icebox vs C9
Zekken Split vs GenG
Less Icebox vs Optic
Sacy Ascent vs Optic
Shao Haven vs DRX
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#5 Aspas Lotus vs Sentinels
1.92 Rating, 372 ACS , 47/19, +28
The Performance itself: 10/10
The Setting : 6/10
How it holds up in the present day : 10/10
Other factors : 9/10
Total Score : 35/40
The only performance here that wasn't at an international, this Legendary performance set the single map kill record, in a fashion that will likely never be broken, earning it full points in the performance section. Furthermore, it was done in recent history, on comps that will continue to be meta unless there is major update. The only weakness is the setting, not done at an international event, and instead in a regular regional matchup, although he does get a point for doing it against the still-hot SEN, fresh off of their Madrid win.
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#4 Cryo Bind vs FUT
2.49 Rating, 439 ACS, 25/4, +21
The Performance Itself : 9.5/10
The Setting : 7.5/10
How it holds up in the present day : 10/10
Other factors : 9/10
Total Score : 36/40
The stats you see at the top are actually not for this game, those are Cryo's stats in the 13-1 stomp of Loud on Ascent done domestically a little later on. While we don't have a rating for shanghai, he actually had higher ACS in that game than the Loud game, while on Brim instead of Jett: 452 ACS, 32/11, +21. Since that it is now in perspective, the high score for Performance/Other are self-evident. Done at a recent international, he also gets full credit for how it holds up. He gets a respectable score for the setting as well, being it was at a masters playoffs, albeit it was the opening match against not a particularly good team.
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#3 Marved Haven vs Zeta Division
1.80 Rating, 342 ACS, 35/16, +19
The Performance Itself : 9/10
The Setting : 9.5/10
How it holds up in the present day : 9/10
Other factors : 9/10
Total Score : 36.5/40
35 Kills. No, it is not the International Kill Record, which is 38 by Tehbotol on Breeze, and was almost beaten by Woot on Icebox. Yet, it was damn close, and done in less rounds than both of those matches, earning it a 9 on performance. Furthemore it was done in a lower final, which is about as elite as you can get, earning a 9.5 on setting. Even though this game is now considered a part of valorant history, the way he played omen has still not been significantly improved upon in years since, holding up well to modern standards. And speaking of valorant history, when you talk about 'The Iceman', this haven game is still the first thing you point to as a reminder of what he was capable of. Legacy defining, earning a high mark on other factors.
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#2 Nats Fracture vs ACEND
2.37 Rating, 394 ACS, 26/3, +23
The Performance Itself : 10/10
The Setting : 10/10
How it holds up in the present day : 7/10
Other factors : 10/10
Total Score : 37/40
The numbers speak for themselves. A nearly flawless game in a champs final, earning perfect scores in performance and setting. Furthermore, this game put Gambit in the Lead in the most important time, and should've broken Acend's confidence, earning it a full score in other factors. The only flaw is that it has not stood well to the test of time. Like it or not, this is archaic valorant, and a level of play that, even though was the highest possible back in 2021, would be considered very low today, so points must be docked for that.
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#1 Less Split vs PRX
2.33 Rating, 424 ACS, 24/7, +17
The Performance Itself : 9.5/10
The Setting : 9/10
How it holds up in the present day : 9.5/10
Other factors : 10/10
Total Score : 38/40
Despite not being as iconic, this relatively unknown performance is almost certainly the most dominant of all time.
Performance-Wise, it is essentially neck and neck with Nats' 26/3 (and the Rating stat hates deaths), with a notably higher ACS. If it's not a 10, its about as close as it could be.
Setting-Wise, it was done at Champs Playoffs, in upper Semis vs a Finalist. There's really not much further than that, a 9 is well deserved
It holds up incredibly well, in fact, many of the comps and macro ideas played today are identical to what teams were using back then. If the skye nerf was reverted, the meta today would be almost exactly what it was when this game was played.
But what truly sets this performance apart? Remember the Cryo performance at #4? The spectacular part of that, that earned him high credit in the final category, was that he did it on Brimstone, an role that it is notoriously hard to frag on. Brim however, is a meta agent on Bind. What makes Less's performance truly exceptional is that he did it on not just a Senti, but KJ. An agent that is not even meta on Split. Cypher is notably better both on that map specifically and in terms of general fragging. In fact, some other teams even played Chamber if they were not playing Cypher. The only other team at Champs to play KJ on Split was DRX, with RB averaging a ~ 0.70 Rating on her across 3 games. Make no mistake, Less's performance in this match is the equivalent of having a mythical performance while playing Harbor on Ascent instead of Omen.
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