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

The Ascension tournament too 💀

Facts, I think Loud will gain more steam as the tourney goes on and I can't wait to see Lev too. Best region EZ, lets fucking gooooo

Yeah... Like I get it, Zombs and Dapr are kind of assholes and they talked some real BM on the whole region when they had been on SEN. Just makes me a little sad because I bet those two dreamed of playing in their country in front of their friends, family, and people. Then they might not get the reception they deserve, specially after doing so much for the Brazilian scene last year. I hope I'm wrong though, because I would really love to see more mixed NA/SA lineups for Americas League teams.

I'd hope that Brazil would support Americas teams as a whole when not facing like NA vs BR teams, but that old time rivalry is honestly probably never going to go away. Pretty sure NA and South America have always been roasting and bantering with each other since the dawn of online video games loool.

if MIBR loses this then DRX loses to C9 just for that F take from Mako. I was excited for our Brazilian fam to get some W's today and keep that American League supremacy alive.

that would require a braincell. I'm here to watch people get shit on in valorant and the random cute cosplayer girl. That being said I remember that one time someone snuck a dildo into a LAN in CS and got Olafmeister to high five it.

https://twitter.com/donhaci/status/1120376903406358528?lang=en

honestly... yeah. I fucking love Scream, but FNS has that giga brain and there really shouldn't be any firepower difference between the two teams. If there is it's probably towards NRG.

Same, I just couldn't doubt C9 even after proving grounds. Like on paper that team is just stupid good. For me it was actually NRG vs loud that made me hesitate.... but if there is a team that is louds kryptonite it's NRG.

The doubt fam, the doubt. I have 3 NA teams and Lev making it out of the groups

The only one cringe here is this EU copium counting on LAN stats from 2 years ago

it's more then likely the top 2 NA teams are over there too, so the top EMEA teams don't really mean much if their scrim practice has been against these bums we've been shitting on in this group. IDK about SEN... but there is no way that 100T isn't cracked AF with cryo, and every single time we've seen them, they've been getting better and better.

https://www.vlr.gg/pickem/a6c52d09

Damn right I have a full Americas league final.

These people acting like 100T and SEN haven't been considered top 3 NA this whole time lol. That SEN vs Fnatic match is going to be crazy, but people are sleeping on 100T they might be the best NA team we have... and if they aren't now, with how young they all are, they will be sometime this year.

So proud of my boys, you love to see it.

I was VERY interested to see what potter was cooking, and when I heard she was getting Ethan and BCJ to work with.... well. Now I'm really excited to see if this 10 man roster idea might actually be way better then people thought. Who knows.

Oh yeah, unfortunately for EMEA and APAC is that the Americas league will more then likely continue to pull away because of how competitive it is between North and South American teams. I was PISSED when NA only got 5 teams, but now it's looking like overall this refinement of rosters is going to help both regions of the Americas create not only the best league to watch, but out of that competitive pressure, the best players in the world in the long run.

I wouldn't say that... Just because Liquid, Fnatic, and NaVi should be real good. If EMEA ends up getting shit on by Americas teams this whole tournament I'm going to throw a party fr. EU fans would mald so bad.

I hope so, I really love the fact that APAC last year stayed competitive with EMEA/Americas regions. It's why I enjoy watching valorant so much since you never really see that in CS.

I had Fnatic beating out SEN, mostly because of those micky mouse LANs... but seeing c9 come back as strong as they did after red bulls. With Brazil crowd buff. I think it might be the match of the tournament regardless. That being said, poor APAC... they've been getting fucking smashed this tournament outside of DRX so far.

I'm hoping BCJ puts up another masters performance if I'm being honest, I think he was criminally underrated when franchising started. Other then that it'll be interesting to see if jawg isn't an onliner, and ethan back on LAN.

It's been a hot min since I've seen Ethan at LAN, but if we are getting BCJ at masters, and Jawg isn't an onliner. Then I think EG will surprise a ton of people. That being said the only person on TH I actually know is Mixwell so I'm sure it'll be a good match regardless.

Sometimes like that for sure. People care too much about the opinion of others and their approval, other times... life is hard, it's depressing, and you realize you got sold on this dream of being an adult that isn't real... and you know that smoking is going to take years off your life, and kill you. The truly sad thing is, is that you do it anyway, and a lot of the time it's because you know it's bad, but you'd rather die in your 40's or 50's then live to 90 and see people continue to suffer. At least it is for me, not that I'm really sad or depressed anymore, but at 30 I've seen enough of life to know how truly fucked up it can be, and I don't blame people for their vices to make this journey of ours more bearable. Food, drugs, smoke, whatever.

Is what it is fam, it is, what it is... til it ain't. Some of us just ain't strong, and that's ok... just wish the world took better care of the weak instead of eating them alive, or letting them wither away.

who cares bro, literally go play and watch competitive card games or some other soft shit. We're here fucking killing each others virtual avatars in a game with guns and the ability to bag on your enemies after their dead. Yeah, yeah, sportsmanship and all that, it's great and if you are on that good guy shit then props to you for it. But don't hate the anti-heroes for just being better sometimes, this is fps culture, always has been, always will be.

Not your fault man, I think a lot of people took the taric ludwig inv too serious in terms of how good SEN and C9 might actually be coming into this tourney... of course they aren't going to try hard and hand out free vods a month before a major international LAN lol. Still it's easy to get lost in the results.

This is extremely incorrect for the most part, I'm not saying that fast food serving sizes and the culture around quick and fast shit isn't a problem. It is, but the obesity rate in America disproportionately impacts the poor here, which is sadly a big chunk of the country. I believe the UN report on American poverty highlighted that not only is America the highest inequality gap of all western countries, not to mention a lot of other fucked shit.

"The Stanford Center on Inequality and Poverty ranks the most well-off countries in terms of labor markets, poverty, safety net, wealth inequality, and economic mobility. The US comes in last of the top 10 most well-off countries, and 18th amongst the top 21."

"In terms of access to water and sanitation the US ranks 36th in the world." In some cities and states it's literally more healthy for you to drink fucking soda then it is the local water supply.

Now, with that information and picture painted, you also have to attribute a lot of this to capitalism unfortunately. We have the highest infant mortality rate in the developed world, and we spend double the amount per capita on healthcare out of all OECD countries. So we make money off of people being sick, it's a known fact that Americans today can expect to live short and sicker lives because of our health sector and food industry. The amount of chemicals and sugar we put in every day food is mental, this is even worse for food that is supplied to food pantries for the truly poor. Combine that to the fact that "healthy food" isn't accessible to rural areas, and some cities, or the education to be healthier in general.

With all that being said it's a complex topic, with many layers, and even all of the things I'm talking about is really only some of what is contributing to American Obesity. People are fat, people make fun of fat people, and for me personally I think it's probably healthier to make fun of it then stew in depression or anger at a government that openly preys on it's people and make them heavily sick and dependent on the government to survive. That goes for most things in life, I'd rather find the humor in it then cry about it. But to state something like the OP as the leading cause to a major issue in such a fucking simple way just isn't it fam. Gotta stop being willfully ignorant about the world and educate yourself about the complexity of our reality, nothing is as simple as we wish it was.

People put bias on legacy too much, I feel like 100T has been better every time we've seen them, and because their the youngest NA team, will more then likely have a pretty insane peak... Their skill ceiling as players is pretty crazy. That being said NRG might become a better optic, and I'm interested to see if Sen works out with the BR/NA mix

Bro, they have one of the youngest lineups and had only been a team for 5 months or so when they went to champs, that's impressive. It's OK to be scared of the NA young guns, they coming next year.