Kickoff Week 1 was...weird

Am the only one who thinks a big part of week 1 was very sad to watch as a viewer. Like at points I was genuinely questioning if I was really watching tier 1 Valorant in 2025. It is still the start of the year which is probably why but a lot of it was painful for my eyes and at points I had to turn the stream off for a bit for my own sanity.

Don't get me wrong there were genuinely good games like Boom vs T1 or 100T vs Sen, I enjoyed a few EMEA games. They will get their shit together once the year progresses.

Just only watch China. You'll never be bored if the guy making a mistake gets a random 3k during it

so true

Wolves looked clueless and are an actual waste of talent in China
EDG got hard outgunned and anti'd
the 3 hour FNC-BBL game ruined my day
TL-KOI fracture was so bad it was hilarios
FNS is geriatric
and we still had great moments like KC-VIT, florescent debut, Lewnacy

Week 1 was so weird

I had to turn the stream off for a bit for my own sanity

sounds like an overreaction tbh

R136a1 [#4]

I had to turn the stream off for a bit for my own sanity

sounds like an overreaction tbh

some of the games WERE that bad tbh

R136a1 [#4]

I had to turn the stream off for a bit for my own sanity

sounds like an overreaction tbh

Hyperbole but tbf I did turn off that PRX vs T1 game to watch China for a while
Also the TL KOI game iirc

MissesHisShots [#3]

so true

Wolves looked clueless and are an actual waste of talent in China
EDG got hard outgunned and anti'd
the 3 hour FNC-BBL game ruined my day
TL-KOI fracture was so bad it was hilarios
FNS is geriatric
and we still had great moments like KC-VIT, florescent debut, Lewnacy

Week 1 was so weird

Wolves were tragic
And that KOI vs TL game was truly something

The only good game we had was KC vs VIT and 100T vs SEN

Go watch madrid again the level of valorant at that event was tragic

shaq_attaqr [#9]

Go watch madrid again the level of valorant at that event was tragic

See that's why I said it will get better as the year progresses
Right now it's tragic for a big part

R136a1 [#4]

I had to turn the stream off for a bit for my own sanity

sounds like an overreaction tbh

As someone who enjoyed the vast array of teams that were title contenders from EMEA pre-franchising, the standard of play and individual level brought to games during franchising has plummeted.

Not much of an exaggeration.

MissesHisShots [#3]

so true

Wolves looked clueless and are an actual waste of talent in China
EDG got hard outgunned and anti'd
the 3 hour FNC-BBL game ruined my day
TL-KOI fracture was so bad it was hilarios
FNS is geriatric
and we still had great moments like KC-VIT, florescent debut, Lewnacy

Week 1 was so weird

Bro has to put fnc twice lmao

Denjisideals [#7]

Wolves were tragic
And that KOI vs TL game was truly something

who do you think looked more fraudulent in that series? Liquid or KOI?

Clucker [#12]

Bro has to put fnc twice lmao

I don't think I did, I put Fnatic and FNS (FiNESSE)

Shuaaaa [#11]

As someone who enjoyed the vast array of teams that were title contenders from EMEA pre-franchising, the standard of play and individual level brought to games during franchising has plummeted.

Not much of an exaggeration.

it is an exaggeration. the individual levels going down is the players not performing as well as they did before and the standard of play being plummeted during franchising isn't true if you look at it as a whole.

FNC 2022 were one of the "contenders" and FNC improved going into franchising.
FPX changed to NAVI and the players just couldn't perform as well as they did in 2022 because other teams and players improved.

Kick-off is where teams figure out their own meta and philosophy so saying the level fell off compared to PRE-franchising is invalid.

nostalgia fools people.

Denjisideals [#6]

Hyperbole but tbf I did turn off that PRX vs T1 game to watch China for a while
Also the TL KOI game iirc

I generally enjoyed seeing new players coming into TL and KOI and how both teams wanna figure out the meta. I guess it can change from one perspective to the other. If I was purely looking for entertainment, yea there were some boring games.

This is what happens when you realease a new agent 2 weeks before the start of a tournament with 2 new maps in the pool. The quality will just not be as good because teams have to change all their plans now.

Americas had a few visa issues as wlel which also likely make some teams play worse.

MissesHisShots [#13]

who do you think looked more fraudulent in that series? Liquid or KOI?

Mid vs Mid but definately KOI

MissesHisShots [#14]

I don't think I did, I put Fnatic and FNS (FiNESSE)

Nah im blind

Clucker [#19]

Nah im blind

can't expect from a fake and a fraud Clucky

someone just salty m80 didn't make it lmao

Siigma777 [#21]

someone just salty m80 didn't make it lmao

The better team won
Even if M80 had qualified, it wouldn't make the rest teams automatically better.