Bro you got out of this hellscape of a country and still identify with us fam? Props to you I guess, I'd have picked up a scottish accent and some hill wife to settle down with never to think or return to this country ever again. Be free lil timmy.... Be free

I don't even know what a superteam would look like if I'm being honest.

IGL: Boostio (i love my dude fns, but the mans old and can't frag like the youngins.)

Smokes: Marved

Int/flex: Zekken

Duelist: Demon1/Tenz ( idk they both seem to have absurd skill ceilings)

Flex: one of the youngins on 100t probably...?

Coach: Sgares/potter/chet

Didn't the old loud guys have troubles or beef with sacy a bit?

7 am. I smoked the devils lettuce all night just to watch my american boys get just as smoked. Feelsbad

Haha no. If you are talking about the esport teams that want to farm young people for influence online that they can make corporate brand deals by pitching the online impressions they're getting than sure.

But on the federal and local level? Hell nah bro. I remember NIP, Fnatic, Astralis, and Navi players being treated like fucking gods when they won majors. Those players own businesses in their countries now bahaha, they got to see prime ministers and kings. If an american wins something you aren't going to be receiving a congratulations card from your local governor let alone see the president bahaha come on now. Besides the most you are getting for 500,000 here is a pretty decent normal suburban home not a chain of restaurants or some shit looool. Y'all don't even know what it's truly like over here, Shit is not a good place to try to play video games seriously in.

Uh, do you want a real answer?

A lot of people saying streaming is kind of correct, but this was talked about in the early days of CSGO.

1. NA is huge, and it costs more money, time, and availability to get to LAN tournaments here. It's been a problem for a long time. In the early days before esports was kicking off I used to play shitty f2p fps games with skadoodle from csgo. The reason why people would play those games was because they had online regional qualifiers and companies like Ijji or Nexon would pay for you to go to korea for worlds. 1.6 and Source professional was for like, the better off young people with supportive family. So NA lost a lot of talent in those days due to people growing up and needing to work early on in life because more people here are poor than let's say Denmark, France, or Sweden. If you want proof of income inequality impacting esports, look at CoD. Look at nadeshot, he got his chance playing pro while working at fucking mcdonalds, but it was on a console. Most families couldn't afford actual gaming pcs. I remember playing css at 30ish fps on dial up and feeling frustrated going against well equipped and well off rich kids on CAL and CPL. Shit sucks.... Anyways EU doesn't and hasn't competed in really any console esports, there just isn't a gap to exploit and I feel EU as a whole is more into pc culture.

2. Social programs and education systems. There are a lot of basic income welfare type programs for financial assistance, housing, and medical emergencies. Plus you don't need to pay for your higher education, and while you're growing up you are learning more efficiently, less amlunt of days and hours at school, and no "homework". Now this varies by country but as a whole EU does this a lot better than any single state in the US.

3. So we covered how you have more time, less cost, and more assistance to live your dream or give you at least the chance of it if you are driven enough. But the 3rd thing is culture and opportunity. EU as a whole looks at their citizens as an investment and responsibility, even if they can't give back to society, it is societies responsibility to make sure that even the weakest and worst off among them is taken care of. In the US we care only for the profitability and hold no responsibility for taking care of our own other than a patriotic and cult like belief that any outside threat or attack against an american is one against the collective itself. In simple terms, children are grown here to be profitable and if you are not than you are to be discarded. We do this with children, adults, elderly, vets, the disabled... As bad as it sounds and as morally... Detestable as it is. It's kind of the genius of the US and simply how we play and win the game at the highest levels. It doesn't do well with pipe dreams and competitive entertainment industries. Like if we wanted to, we would create esport faculties with top of the line technology and health scientists finding the perfect freak fps players and training regimes to get all the olympic golds...like we do for other sports lol.

So to sum it up, americans work more, longer, and on average have rougher lives than a good amount of europe. In EU support is given, so talent and drive determine the best of the best. In the US opportunity is more important because you can be super talented and driven but unless you have the perfect environment to nurture those things, you'll be ground up in the system of what you need to do to be a "good" american, not what you want to do to be happy or successful. And esports like most of our entertainment sector, is to be taxed and ignored, while occasionally being a gateway for militaey recruitment or brand indoctrination.

The US will never care and support esports the same way European countries will. Just how the cookie crumbles guys, this society has bigger games to win and loose at, and it's for all the stakes in the world.

In era is defined by multiple LAN wins in a stretch of time. Like NiP, Fnatic, Liquids grand slam run but that one's debated by no actual major trophy.

Winning a single tournament isn't an era fam

And world wars

Wait.... People called sen's one tournament an era? Bruh bahahaha

I think it's better then people give them credit for

they get both bans as upper bracket finalists, that's their advantage. It's going to be pearl and fracture

Meaning EG is going to need to win split and ascent, and either win on bind ( which I doubt) or lotus (probably unlikely) or haven (Most likely option)

That's very true, but as it is the last chance, I'd rather see who currently has the best form giving fair treatment, so that the very best currently get to go to champs. If Americas only has one slot more, then it's not that big of a deal, given that we could have two... That makes it a lot more unfair due to second being someone that made a lower bracket run.

TBH Derke never really showed up that series so he might as well of been subbed lol.

Yeah... but that's not true because they have a lower bracket lol. bruh, also second place would become extremely important if EG win another slot for Americas even if that's unlikely.

or idk.... make the LCQ double elim all the way through since there isn't two masters and one champs this year. But that would make too much sense. I don't understand, why playoff for a region is double elim, but LCQ isn't? Kinda blows my mind ngl.

I mean, it looked that way the first time around. But EG has done pretty well on that map against some decent teams... Idk it's for sure going to be played so we'll see.

Nope, I just type fast and am 30 lol. I'm not mad at all you trog bahaha. Wait until you have to actually start typing out full university level essays.

Realistically? Probably, but with a best of 5 under their belt if they beat prx. It's def not going 3-0 lol.

Fnc is going to ban pearl and fracture. But I don't think fnc has a free map, outside of I guess haven? I don't think EG are actually as bad as people thinkthey are from the score line on lotus.

Closest final map I've seen tbh. Came down to the less than half a second. I'd put it up there in like the top 20, maybe top 10 series in valorant so far

This dudes been holding onto this for years 😆😂

It's alright, calm down. I know that less than a second win to stop EG from overtime took a few years of your life off, and I know statistically it's never good to be rematched by a team you beat. But before you start crying and shitting yourself when you realize that a bunch of Americas international LAN rookies can take on y'alls very best superteam you could ever dream of.

Sit back and relax my EU friend. Let the script cook. Fun fact, an NA team has won the first masters event each year so far.

Looooooooool. Bahahaha. It's just a phase lil bro. Someday you too will grow up and start to realize how one dimensional and shit tier most edgy characters are... kaneki def clears there.

Lelouch aight, still a great antagonist even if his character plays into the ultra smart manipulative narcissist all young boys/men think they want to be or are.

Guts. Anyone saying he gets cleared is braindead or born in the 2010's

Doesn't dota have the highest price pools? Not saying that makes them the best esports league either lol. If we are talking viewer count, my guess is that cs has more viewers per year just because of how many major tournaments it has.

CS and League have the same problem for me, they are both dominated by single regions that I don't really care that much about. Not that it's their fault, but watching EU teams dominate CS year after year is boring. Same with league, but Asia instead.

I don't even play that much val. But it's my fav esport because I think it does the best at having truly international tournaments that always keep you guessing

If they beat prx I'd say they're more than likely to win tbh. I feel like rematches always favor the team that lost first. Even with fnc probably banning pearl and fracture. Just something I feel in my gut. Specially consudering EG lost by literally 1 sec the last time. Those boys are going to be so driven to win considering how close they already got.

Nah the winner of that match vs furia is also single elem, so is the 100t sen game. Tough break, I don't think lev Deserve 2 chances at LCQ but here they are. C9 had an amazing season... Just didn't expect EG in the playoffs. I don't think anyone did tbf.

Hopefully sen qualifies for my boy marved to claim some heads at masters

I think he has an issue with how the bracket looks. Both for NA/SA... Idk how they made this bracket, but it looks ass when both regions of the Americas league don't even go against the other til upper finals lol.

Gonna make me cry bro, be nice to my 3 optic boys.

Yeah I've stopped doubting EG, I think they win the tournament. The thing is, I think FNC actually beat them first meeting, but it's going to be close. EG come up from lowers and beat FNATIC in the best of 5 as the rematching team.

Bruh, this didn't age well

I'd put EG in A, I don't expect them to win this event, but they have a chance to go just as far as liquid or PRX or NRG at this point.

The boys looked good, and they normally start rough. Excited to see how this tournament goes! NRG EZ getting out of groups

If it does, I think we might have the most competitive international event yet!

LOL bruh

If a Chinese team actually wins a match I'll be surprised, if they make it out of groups I'll shave my head

We have an actual S tier American duelist attending, our boy demon1 actually made it, the mad lad. I know, I know we've had doubts... meme's, even outrage at what EG did since franchising. But I want you guys to root for our young bald eagle, may he eat burgers and get fat after at least making it out of groups.

Aye, same pickem, but I have NRG losing their first match loooool. I love the boys, but we all know they start cold af and never make any tournament easy for themselves.

Damn is T1 really that good? I think NRG starts cold again, like every tournament, looool, but I don't see them losing to anyone besides their opening match against NaVi in that group tbh.

I'm probably sleeping on MaKo. The only reason why less isn't S, is because as good and consistent as he is, I don't think he can win games almost completely by himself like Aspas can, but yeah, Less should probably be S too, some of his clutches are nutty.

I should probably explain that IGL's and teamwork probably played more of a factor than gunskill in my tier list. Like FNS/Boaster/Saadhaak aren't REALLY A tier gunners.... On their best days maybe slightly above average pro players aim wise. So High B's, and they probably play around low B and C most of the time. That being said, They deserve A to me, because all 3 of those players can lift almost every single player on there roster to higher tiers if they are calling well. For Example the NRG players, if FNS and the team are hot. It becomes a team full of A tier players and an S ranked star+IGL... a team on paper that can and has won international tournaments. But on average aren't going to dominate any single league or tourney run, it's always going to be hard maintaining that higher level performance, they just do it consistently, because of FNS.

Same can be said with Fnatic and Loud, they have some of the best IGL's, but the difference there is most of there players are already S or A tier, so the boost they get literally turns those teams into monsters in god mode.

DRX lacks that, sure I don't think anyone on DRX is below average, but they never win these tournaments because they don't have a god mode that makes them able to compete at the highest most tense moments imho. So that's why I left most of there players in A

TLDR: I'm a nerd for valorant, Mako is pretty good, I just thought about my tier list oddly when I made it.

Yeah my list might be a little odd, because it's not just rifling skills, but how much I feel they are core to their teams style and results. S tier to me, are people that can completely and utterly take over any and all matches if they are hot, and basically win matches by themselves for the most part. So Pacific players are probably ranked poorly since I don't know THAT much about them... I'll be honest, I don't watch much pacific league, just highlights, but I'm still trying to list them in order of importance of what they contribute to their team, how good that team is, and how they compare.

https://i.imgur.com/r0jDV4s.png

There is mine, Idk anything about china, and maybe I'm sleeping on FUT but I think it's pretty accurate. Sadly I don't think we have any S tier American League players outside of Aspas this tourney. NRG mostly is good because they are a unit, and without demon1 EG doesn't even have an A tier player imho looooool. B isn't bad tho. I feel like it's pretty stacked for EU's this time tho.

I think FNC beats SEN... 100T on the other hand. I don't think that's a matchup that will go in their favor in single elem. 100T has better staff, a better or equal IGL tbh, and I think just like last time they faced xset, cryo is going to be a problem.

Nadeshot

I want to see them tested again SEN and 100T, with 100T probably the team they should worry about. It's going to be crushing for EMEA if they lose to SEN game 1 tho so we're about to see how well they've synergized or if turns into another c9.

Fnatic for sure, yet I still have this feeling that their curse is going to continue

not anymore

previous year champions LOUD, beat our supposedly best team... in a best of 3, that went into OT on 2 maps. Great game, glad we could contribute to the best match of the tournament so far. Best Rivalry in Valorant, W Americas league.

There are super teams (C9, Liquid, FNC, SEN) that people fanboy over out of hope that these cores fixed the very big issues they had last year. If I'm being honest, they're all probably not making it out of groups.

The Legacy teams (Loud, NRG, NaVi) which I've never doubted in being really good this year. Sad the NRG x LOUD match happened in groups, but damn that was easily the best match so far of the tournament. These should be the favorites for most people not on copium.

The consistent rising star teams (DRX, 100T, LEV) which I can't think of off the top of my head for EMEA, that's not me shading the region, but going off last year alone... Fnatic did ass at masters and Champs, same with Liquid. DRX should honestly be a legacy team but they never won anything.

As for the question of 100T, I think they're in the same boat as LEV. Both teams have applied themselves, have improved leaps and bounds, and every single time we see them they look stronger. I think Lev has a much rougher time in getting out of groups then 100T does... I'm pretty sure that regardless of who wins the SEN/FNC game, 100T is probably going to shit on. They are by far the most funded NA team, have the longest practice time out of the NA teams, made actual staff and player decisions that showed results instantly, and are also the youngest, and one of the youngest group of players in valorant. You need to have literal dog shit for brains to doubt 100T at this point. NaVi/100T out of groups imho

I'd love that tbh, I always kinda envied that EMEA had more unity between countries there... and it's just kinda been the US and CAN having any sort of combined identity. Kinda defeats the purpose of the whole globalized world feel of modern times imho. This is esports, not traditional, you'd think we would of grown past just one country fandoms.

LOL

Both SEN, 100T, and Lev have the potential of being in the top 5 for Americas too. Omega Bracket going to be nutty