Updated 2021-10-10
This ranking / tierlist is based on the SEA Valorant scene right now, meaning teams like X10 Esports would be inaccurately included as there is no recent data to support their ranking. Roster changes have also been considered.
Tierlist |
SSS - Paper Rex
S+ - X10 Esports, Bleed eSports, Team Secret
S - Bleed eSports, ONIC G, Full Sense, Boom Esports, Louvre
A+ - Boom Esports, Kingsmen, Zeal Esports
A - Team Big BAAM, Foxy Araikordai, Alter Ego, XcN Gaming, CBT Gaming
B - CERBERUS Esports, Bigetron Astro, Nigma Galaxy, Sharper Esport, Morph Impact, Oasis Gaming
C - Team SMG, EGO, The Infinity Esports, Griffin Esports, Five Ace e-Sports
Ranking |
1 - Paper Rex
-- Gap --
2 - X10 Esports
3 - Team Secret
4 - Bleed eSports
5 - Full Sense
6 - ONIC G
7 - Louvre
8 - Boom Esports
9 - Kingsmen
10 - Zeal Esports
11 - Team Big BAAM
12 - Foxy Araikordai
13 - Alter Ego
14 - XcN Gaming
15 - CBT Gaming
16 - Nigma Galaxy
17 - Oasis Gaming
18 - CERBERUS Esports
19 - Sharper Esport
20 - Bigetron Astro
21 - Morph Impact
22 - The Infinity Esports
23 - Team SMG
24 - EGO
25 - Five Ace e-Sports
26 - Griffin Esports
There is a lot of individual bias in this ranking, so please recommend some changes. If you have any questions for my reasoning, I'll try my best to answer them.
EDIT:
Changes |
- Moved top 10 rankings around:
- Full Sense has been considered as the better team in most cases despite lack of any recent performance.
- Team Secret, albeit a subpar performance in KJC, have been moved S+ tier and top 3. Although Team Secret needs to perform, I have to agree with a lot of what TMosura's post had stated.
- Team Big BAAM falls out of top 10.
- Zeal Esports have been moved up despite a 7th-8th performance in KJC.
- Kingsmen replaces Team Big BAAM and moves up. Boom Esports, despite promising roster changes, have been moved down.
- Louvre, despite finishing off Team Secret in KJC, remains the same.
- Bleed eSports, despite finishing in GF within KJC, have been moved down 1 place, but moved up in the tierlist to S+ with potential.
- Added A+ tier, to distinctively put teams that are evidently not at yet S tier, but also better than A tier. Moved Boom Esports, Kingsmen and Zeal Esports.
- Alter Ego and XcN moved up to A.
- Nigma Galaxy and Sharper Esport moved down to B.
- Added C tier. Moved Team SMG, EGO, The Infinity Esports, and Griffin Esports.
- Added CBT Gaming, Bigetron Astro and Five Ace e-Sports (let me know of any other notable teams I should include).
- Everything below top 10 in the rankings have been shifted to match the tierlist.
Thoughts |
Despite TMosura's suggestion of varying rankings, I think a specific value for 1 team gives us a more clear idea of the scene as a standing. I completely agree with what they say about teams being very close, but for this ranking I want it to be clear for those who aren't following the SEA scene which teams are more distinctively better than another.
I've also added SSS for PRX, whether it is inaccurate or not will depend on LCQ, but I'm 100% certain that they are currently the best team in SEA. After watching their games, and their obvious distinctive playstyle in accordance to the metas, as well as how they adapted perfectly to the KJC agent bans, there's a considerable gap between PRX and other SEA teams. Imagine KRU of SEA, that's how I see it. X10 Esports have yet to prove themselves of this caliber due to no recent performance. I honestly think that Paper Rex would've been a better candidate for Champions than Team Secret, but obviously Team Secret won that challenger playoffs fair and square.
As for top 10, TMosura's analysis of the scene is the most accurate I've seen as of date. SEA's top 10 cannot be ranked perfectly according to a specific ELO, as the variables of maps and agents make certain teams better or worse than others. Despite of performance, team chemistry and other notable factors, my decision on this ranking has been both personal bias and community bias. This is why I ask for suggestions on the ranking, because I know I alone will make human errors despite my analysis of the scene with statistics in mind.
Regardless, as a Canadian viewer following SEA and NA, I certainly think without a doubt of personal feelings, that SEA have the potential to be a top contender in Valorant.
This tierlist is to be updated again once APAC LCQ ends, which will determine a realistic standing for SEA coming into VCT 2022.
Please let me know if there are any other things I should change / include.