The Korean Jett claims the #19 spot as a result of both strong domestic and international performances.
Yu "BuZz" Byung-Chul had a volatile 2021, playing under many separate organizations before landing on Korea's top team: Vision Strikers.
BuZz began the VCT circuit on BearClaw Gaming, however the team was released from the organization, leading the squad to play as free agents under the banner MUYAHO. Despite the turmoil, MUYAHO was able to claim a semifinal appearance and finish Masters 1 Korea in 3rd-4th place. The entry fragger reached a 1.23 rating, second highest in the tournament.
As a result of this performance, MUYAHO was signed by Rio Company. With a spot to Masters Reykjavik on the line, BuZz and Rio Company finished the Korea Stage 2 Challengers Playoffs in 3rd-4th place once again, preventing them from playing on the LAN stage. It was arguably this performance, however, that put BuZz on the map, as he dominated the tournament with a 1.43 rating, leading all other players by a sizable margin.
This consistent domestic performance brought BuZz to be signed by Vision Strikers, who had began to slump at the wrong time, missing out on Reykjavik. Vision Strikers instantly began to bounce back following the addition of BuZz, however, as they qualified to Masters Berlin without dropping a series in the entire Stage 3 circuit, returning to their winning ways. BuZz was a key contributor to this qualification with a rating of 1.15 during the Korea Stage 3 Challengers Playoffs. With Vision Strikers at their first ever LAN, BuZz led the Koreans to win Group A with a 1.15 rating, but their Berlin run ended early following a loss to Gambit in the playoffs.
BuZz finished his year in disappointing fashion, however, as Vision Strikers was eliminated early in Valorant CHAMPIONS. While BuZz dominated against FULL SENSE in the opening match, he struggled against FNATIC and Cloud9, with the team bowing out at 9th-12th place.
Why was BuZz the 19th best player of 2021?
While BuZz consistently performed throughout the year, his lack of international success with Vision Strikers proved detrimental to his ranking. The Jett was consistently outshined by teammates Rb and MaKo on the LAN stage, as the fragger struggled to bring the team past 5th-8th place. Furthermore, his high ratings domestically, while impressive, came against weaker opponents than his European and American counterparts.
2021 Rankings
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- 🇰🇷 BuZz
- 🇸🇪 Leo
I could not post yesterday as I had an exam so I have two articles coming today