Hello, I figured I would write down my preliminary thoughts on each of the franchised teams after watching them at LOCK//IN. The full list was too long for a single post, so here are the Pacific teams.
Pacific:
DRX: Easily the team to beat in the Pacific, this team is not without its flaws. Aside from MaKo, no one has managed to be consistent at big LANs. No need for roster moves, but unlike other elite teams, there is the potential for significant upgrades.
PRX: Rough draw against a very good C9, but this team has been stuck in neutral for a while ever since their shenanigans gained real attention and counterstratting. They got a bit overhyped after copenhagen, and now they aren't clear cut favorites to make Tokyo. If they add Something would be a weird fit, but I am still very excited for what this team can do.
GE: Great potential, but it still looks like a work in progress, maybe having to throw in Bazzi as a sub threw off the chemistry, but the coordination and roles looked uncomfortable at best. A good IGL and good firepower, but like SEN and TL, the teamplay isn't there yet.
TLN: This team has a distinctive style of aggression and map control that borders on uncoordinated but is dynamic enough to work with excellent macro ideas. Even though garnetS did well, this team gets a whole lot better with Patiphan.
GENG: I thought TS' IGLing was pretty mediocre in the past, but GENG looked way more structured vs LOUD than I've seen any of his previous teams. The core of this team can work, but they needed roster moves (which they seem to be getting). I don't this team has tournament winning potential, but they have a shot to make it to Tokyo.
TS: Walloped a big name TL squad then got walked over by NAVI. This team is similar to EG and FUT in my opinion. They are good across the board, but don't really have any gamebreaking potential to be a contender in my opinion. Unlike those two teams I just mentioned, TS have a legitimate shot at attending international events.
ZETA: This team stagnated, and their IGL situation is not great for their long term prospects. This team does not like to make roster moves, but they desparately need one (or two). Unfortunately, in the Japanese scene, I don't see any clear upgrades unless they can snipe takej from DFM or some of Crazy Racoon's stars
T1: This team does not look like it understands how to play fundamental valorant, and that is not a good system to bring in players who have never touched the game before. On paper this team should be great, and Carpe isn't quite as bad as his stats suggest, but this team has been incredibly disappointing so far.
DFM: For this team to have a shot, they need Seoldam to be a superstar instead of a complete liability. Even with him playing well this team is an outside threat. I thought this team had underdog potential, but they refuse to play their two best players (Seoldam and takej) at the same time.
RRQ: This team is what I thought they were: better than the dumpster fire haters would suggest, but... not good at all. I don't think a team actively subbing players can meet their full potential, and this team had limited potential to begin with.
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