You sound like the average PRX fan after DRX owned them…

stax mouse kiss is the most iconic moment in Valorant history? This is insane copium. Also Ardiis is below the level of whyz stop trying to chat to DRX.

stax kissing his mouse still giving NAVI fans nightmares… You will be known as the losing side in the greatest map of VCT history!

Okay great, you admit that DRX is winning. Thanks for the fun thread!

NU would have won if it was played in modern conditions, with a BO5 being played rather than a BO3, as a Lower Final should.

Even if you beat GMB in that "close" match (lost in 2 maps with neither map a difference of 2 rounds), you would have definitely been destroyed by FNC, who beat said GMB 2 - 0.

DRX lost their second match ever against NU. DRX were comfortably top 2 in KR, top 1 on any other day. Furthermore, NU ended up getting 3rd at Masters Reykjavík 2021, losing 1 - 2 against FNC who got 2nd. KR had half the slots as EMEA and barely did worse. This shows DRX were far better than NAVI at this point in time.

DRX lost 2 - 3 against LOUD, who should've been crowned LOCK//IN winners if they didn't throw 11 - 3 up. Meanwhile, NAVI got thrashed 0 - 3 against FNC.

DRX losing to GEN? It was a very close match that DRX would've won in 2 maps if they didn't throw 5 rounds in a row in Sunset. Also GEN ended up beating T1 3 - 0 then went on to win Masters Shanghai... Short-term memory loss.

Okay now please tell us how NAVI were better regionally during half of the events you mentioned.

Definition of rage bait with blatantly wrong stats... DRX were better or equal to FPX in 11 of the 12 stages of VCT.

SUYGETSU fairytale run tax. Let's talk about the other 11 events.

sentinelmain377 needs to hold this.

This is a matchup based on international performance.

• Final Conclusion
  DRX WIN: DRX 15 - 7 NAVI
  DRX are simply superior overall, having a better average placement even though they've been to 3 more events. NAVI may have won an event but otherwise have been equal or worse at the other 11. DRX have the H2H factor as well.
  Let me know what other matchups you want to see!

• Placements
  Masters Reykjavík 2021: DRX 1 - 1 NAVI (DNQ vs. DNQ)
  Masters Berlin 2021: DRX 2 - 1 NAVI (5th - 8th vs. DNQ)
  Champions Berlin 2021: DRX 3 - 1 NAVI (9th - 12th vs. DNQ)
  Masters Reykjavík 2022: DRX 4 - 1 NAVI (5th - 6th vs. 8th)
  Masters Copenhagen 2022: DRX 4 - 2 NAVI (5th - 6th vs. 1st)
  Champions Istanbul 2022: DRX 5 - 2 NAVI (3rd vs. 4th)
  LOCK//IN São Paulo 2023: DRX 6 - 3 NAVI (3rd - 4th vs. 3rd - 4th)
  Masters Tokyo 2023: DRX 7 - 3 NAVI (7th - 8th vs. 9th - 12th)
  Champions Los Angeles 2023: DRX 8 - 3 NAVI (5th - 6th vs. 9th - 12th)
  Masters Madrid 2024: DRX 9 - 4 NAVI (DNQ vs. DNQ)
  Masters Shanghai 2024: DRX 10 - 5 NAVI (DNQ vs. DNQ)
  Champions Seoul 2024: DRX 11 - 5 NAVI (5th - 6th vs. DNQ)
  Best Placement: DRX 11 - 6 NAVI (3rd vs. 1st)
  Average Placement: DRX 12 - 6 NAVI (5.2 - 6.6 vs. 5.7 - 6.8)

• Head to Head
  Masters Copenhagen 2022: DRX 13 - 6 NAVI (2 - 1)
  Masters Copenhagen 2022: DRX 13 - 7 NAVI (0 - 2)
  Champions Istanbul 2022: DRX 14 - 7 NAVI (2 - 0)
  Champions Los Angeles 2023: DRX 15 - 7 NAVI (2 - 1)

Ah I see, thank you.

Tell me you didn't read anything in the post without telling me you didn't read anything in the post.

This is a matchup based on international performance.

• Final Conclusion
  DRAW: DRX 9 - 9 PRX
  DRX are consistent group stage merchants, boosting their average placement. They also have a better H2H on the international stage. PRX on the other hand, are inconsistent, occasionally dropping out in the early stages of competition. When they make it to the playoffs, however, they make deep runs and take higher placements.
  Let me know what other matchups you want to see!

• Placements
  Masters Reykjavík 2021: DRX 1 - 1 PRX (DNQ vs. DNQ)
  Masters Berlin 2021: DRX 2 - 1 PRX (5th - 8th vs. 13th - 16th)
  Champions Berlin 2021: DRX 3 - 1 PRX (9th - 12th vs. DNQ)
  Masters Reykjavík 2022: DRX 3 - 2 PRX (5th - 6th vs. 4th)
  Masters Copenhagen 2022: DRX 3 - 3 PRX (5th - 6th vs. 2nd)
  Champions Istanbul 2022: DRX 4 - 3 PRX (3rd vs. 9th - 12th)
  LOCK//IN São Paulo 2023: DRX 5 - 3 PRX (3rd - 4th vs. 17th - 32nd)
  Masters Tokyo 2023: DRX 5 - 4 PRX (7th - 8th vs. 3rd)
  Champions Los Angeles 2023: DRX 5 - 5 PRX (5th - 6th vs. 2nd)
  Masters Madrid 2024: DRX 5 - 6 PRX (DNQ vs. 3rd)
  Masters Shanghai 2024: DRX 5 - 7 PRX (DNQ vs. 5th - 6th)
  Champions Seoul 2024: DRX 6 - 7 PRX (5th - 6th vs. 9th - 12th)
  Best Placement: DRX 6 - 8 PRX (3rd vs. 2nd)
  Average Placement: DRX 7 - 8 PRX (5.2 - 6.6 vs. 6.7 - 9.2)

• Head to Head
  Masters Berlin 2021: DRX 8 - 8 PRX (2 - 0)
  Masters Reykjavík 2022: DRX 9 - 8 PRX (2 - 1)
  Masters Tokyo 2023: DRX 9 - 9 PRX (0 - 2)

I mean, you didn't win in either scenario to be fair.

Scenario 1 - Your team absolutely dominates Stage 2 and look like the clear favorites to win Champions. Even better, you get by far the easiest group on paper. However, your team suffers back-to-back humiliating losses and immediately drop out of Champions without winning a single map. The entire roster ends up being replaced in the following season and although the new team is shaky, you are still regionally strong. They qualify for 2 of the 3 events and make it past the group stage but go out first in playoffs for both events.

Scenario 2 - Your team is all the way in the Champions Grand Final, being the Upper Bracket seed with double map ban available. So far, you've demolished every team, not dropping a single map yet. In the final match, your team is quickly up 2 - 0 in maps already, looking for a flawless tournament. However, they throw the 3rd map from a 12 - 0 half and lose 20 - 22. To make matters worse, they end up losing the last 2 maps in overtime, making you suffer the first ever international BO5 reverse sweep in history. The following season, the team remains together but end up making only 1 of the international events and do very average.

Haven't been keeping up with the Tier 2 scene this year. Which Challengers teams are looking likely to win Ascension from each region?

What are your least favorite maps?
For me it has to be Split, Sunset, Pearl.

I fully agree with your top 3. I think Abyss can be considered as well, to be honest.

48 teams split into 3 pools of 16, each with 4 randomly selected teams per region.
Each pool plays a single elimination bracket, ensuring there are no regional matchups in the RO16 and quarterfinals.
Winner of each pool enters a 3 team single round-robin group to crown the winner.
Optionally, the top 2 of teams in the said round-robin can play an extra game as the grand final instead.

I was honestly being generous to FNS but I didn't want to be slandered by the VLR "tacticos."

What team do you think will unexpectedly do poorly next year?

For me, it's NRG. For them to even remotely contend for anything in 2025, they need the jawgemo and potter rumors to be true and Demon1 needs to rediscover his prime. While I believe s0m will confidently compliment the 2023 EG dynamic, FNS will undoubtedly hold them back; he is on par with ANGE1 while receiving less slander than the likes of Lakia and Boaster, who are miles ahead of him.

Bit harsh to be fair. It can be anywhere in that bottom 3 with Pearl and Sunset.

1. Haven
2. Ascent
3. Lotus
4. Abyss
5. Breeze
6. Fracture
7. Icebox
8. Bind
9. Pearl
10. Sunset
11. Split

Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if Riot just made 4 separate bundles for each region to rack in the money.

Nevermind, Americas is actually green, based off of Misericórdia. The collection was confirmed by VCT.

There's going to be a LOCK//IN style collection for VCT 2025.
Do you think it'll be another knife skin just with an added China variant? Also, is China going to be red themed? Misericórdia default theme was red so I doubt they can do that...

I have the script and it says SEN will be back in 2027 for another international event win. However, SEN will have a slump in 2025, like 2022, so they should get another LOCK//IN to feel good about travelling thousands of miles just to be knocked out in the first round!

Don't worry I have the script and it says SEN will be back in 2027 for another international event win.

When I was choosing cities I was focused more on selecting the most populated cities within a country, like the ones that you listed, rather than national capitals. Of course, China is the only region where we can't always have the most populated city hosting every time unless it's repeated like Reykjavík and Berlin.

I remember in Pacific Kickoff how GEN made that insane win against TS to qualify for playoffs, eventually winning it. If something like that happened on the international stage it would be crazier than São Paulo.

This would be an absolute banger format. The 3 team single round robin at the end would genuinely create madness.

I basically said that SEN will have a slump in 2025, like 2022, so they should get another LOCK//IN to feel good about travelling thousands of miles just to be knocked out in the first round!

For everyone here predicting international event hosts for 2026, LOCK//IN should be normalized as the guess for the first LAN of the year, rather than Masters.
Now that we finally have 12 teams per region and relegation being a factor for teams that have Ascended, we should have another LOCK//IN next year to really push orgs to maintain their franchise status and furthermore guarantee themselves participation at an international event.
If everyone starts talking about having a LOCK//IN, hopefully Riot will notice and bring it back for 2026. Possibly, even making it a triennial tradition.

If you're answering LEV here, are you predicting that they won't win Champions?

If you're answering SEN here, are you predicting that they won't win Champions?

There here have only been 7 players (Chronicle, Boaster, Leo, Derke, Alfajer, TenZ, Sacy) to win more than 1 international event, with 5 players (aspas, C0M, Zellsis, johnqt, zekken) looking to join the list by winning Champions Seoul 2024.

Apart from these 5, do you think anyone will become multi-time international event winners at Masters Bangkok 2025? Personally, only the GEN squad are realistic contenders.

I have been there. Feels right to give it an event because it's pretty much the largest city outside of Asia to not have hosted.

We're approaching the 5th year of VCT LANs and 3rd year of franchising. So far, including 2025, there'll have been 8 events in EMEA (3 Champions, 5 Masters), 3 events in Pacific (1 Champions, 2 Masters), 3 events in Americas (1 Champions, 1 Masters, 1 LOCK//IN), and 1 event in China (1 Masters). Also, now that we finally have 12 teams per region and relegation being a factor for teams that have Ascended, we should have another LOCK//IN next year to really push orgs to maintain their franchise status and furthermore guarantee themselves participation at an international event. So, here's what I think we should see for 2026 and 2027.

LOCK//IN Manila 2026
Masters Beijing 2026
Champions Mexico City 2026
Masters London 2027
Masters New York City 2027
Champions Jakarta 2027

Other than Masters Toronto, no DRX? I doubt even PRX will be better than them next year, let alone TLN, TS, T1...

If I was a LOUD fan I would’ve quit watching VCT after losing LOCK//IN.

I’ve become desensitized recently, to be honest. Didn’t even bother naming the TH match, even though it eliminated us on home soil.

SEN fans can name full events and years let alone singular matches…

PRX have a terrible fanbase but honestly with how many heartbreaks they’ve faced I can’t blame y’all.

What are your 3 worst or most heartbreaking defeats your team has experienced?

As a DRX fan:

1. 1 - 2 ZETA, Masters Reykjavík 2022, Lower Round 2.
   Went into this expecting another complete domination, just like the group stage. I was already fuming from losing to OPTC, the eventual event winners, in the previous match 13 - 15, but losing to ZETA really broke me. Also sparked the start of the 5th - 6th curse.

2. 1 - 2 C9, Champions Berlin 2021, Group D Decider.
   Only time we've ever been grouped at an international event. Brutal game that we deserved to lose but got so close it hurts. Also was the last international event for k1Ng and Lakia on DRX.

3. 0 - 2 GEN, Pacific Kickoff 2024, Semifinals.
   2024 was the shakiest year for DRX but it all started here. Rb and Zest leaving the team was soul-crushing, yet it proved to be no problem until we entered this stupid single elimination bracket to qualify for Masters Madrid. The way DRX threw Bind still haunts me and pretty much set the precedent for how the rest of the year would pan out. I still truly believe we would've had an all-timer year, even better than the one GEN had, if we won this match.

Super excited for this matchup between two extremely young squads. However, trying to guess the map ban's this time around is particularly tough. Both teams tend to play Lotus, Bind, and Abyss; will they play into these 3 maps and test how good they are on the day? Or go down a completely fresh road and see who's more prepared? I'll try my best to predict it, regardless.

I would assume TH choose to be Team B: DRX ban Haven; TH ban Ascent; DRX pick Lotus; TH pick Bind; DRX ban Sunset; TH ban Icebox; Abyss remains.
TH 10 - 13 DRX on Lotus
TH 10 - 13 DRX on Bind

I do feel the format is slightly unfair for TH, as they have less time for preparation, even though they're coming from the Upper Bracket. I know this prediction is very basic but I simply feel DRX will feel comfortable going for this map ban, given the extra time they get and TH having lost Lotus, Bind, and Abyss already at this event. Still, I feel TH should not be underestimated and they will come back after their disappointing loss to LEV. Hopefully a close and exciting match!

Has "sw*yb0i1" ever not been downfragged? 😭

These are my absolute non-biased opinions. If you do not agree then please reconsider whether or not VCT is for you. I do not want to see salty fans crying in the comments.
The following is an absolute fact for both the SEN vs. EDG game and the LEV vs. TH game:

As a DRX fan, I apologize to everyone for this terrible take.

TE ban Icebox; DRX ban Ascent; TE pick Bind; DRX pick Abyss; TE ban Haven; DRX ban Lotus; Sunset remains.

DRX 13 - 11 TE on Bind
DRX 13 - 9 TE on Abyss