To summarize all expectations (taken into consideration both my and people's expectations):

DRX [5-6th] - performance according to expectations
Unfortunately, this cursed trend of DRX just being shy of top dogs in the tournaments continues and we see them yet again stumble in crucial moments and they fall under pressure. They are still innovative, exciting to watch, and extremely good in their executes, but they need to polish some things, especially on defense. Shoutout to Rb, people doubted, and you showcased that you are a beast.

FNATIC [4th] - performance slightly underwhelming
We held FNATIC to a higher standard and for a good reason, they were the favorites who seemed to be unstoppable when everything was going to plan. What happened when it didn't? Few hiccups here and there and "why did you do that" moments from all players, accumulated and literally cost them the tournament. Tho, it is reasonable to an extent (LAN jitters, pressure from the bigger stage etc.). Still, one of the most exciting teams coming to Champions. Boaster buff is real, he keeps silently improving with each LAN, which is incredible.

FPX [Winners]- performance above expectations
Uncertainty around the presence of the players was something that made us all doubt. Seider filled the roster, did his part, and than... wow. Just, wow. Giants fell under ANGE1's midround calls, Shao's clutches, SUYGETSU's cold-blooded multi-frags, and Zyppan's Roza ults (kidding, he's a beast lol). But man, oh man, do I have to shout out ardiiis. His come-up story & come-back story in Valo, his performances... He is the glue of this team. True Idols indeed. Even when they would stumble, they would bounce back immediately and adapt, and that certainly is the best thing about this roster, they adapt easily, play different roles with ease, and never seem to be uncomfortable, even when the odds are stacked against them.

Guild [7-8th] - performance slightly above expectations
Guild were given no chance by fans and media, having been placed in a death group. Proud to say, I told you so lol. Playoff hiccups aside, they could've performed a little bit better than they did and push through even further, however just getting a few LAN reps in could mean a lot for them. I love the way they play and can't wait to see what they can do from here. They really have the potential to be the best of the best if they fine-tune their already impressive disciplined playstyle. Man, shoutout to Sayf, consistently a beast.

KRU [9-10th] - performance slightly above expectations
Like Guild, not many expectations from them. But they gave everyone a run for their money and have showcased real improvement. Their placement at the end of the tourney does not tell the full story indeed and I'm more than excited to see them play again. Truly believe that we're gonna see them make a deep run in Champs if they keep polishing their gameplay like they did so far. The improvement from Stage 2 Qualifiers to Masters 2 was impressive and they truly deserve to be back in the spotlight. Mazino needs more attention, so crucial for KRU and their defense especially.

Leviatan [5-6th] - performance slightly above expectations
My biggest I TOLD YOU SO. They are all so flexible in the way they play and adapt their pace according to the situation. Perfect mid rounding. They are a team that is little rough around the edges but have all the potential in the world to be the monstrous team everyone fears facing. Like in Guilds case, few LAN reps could be so important to their further success. Shoutout to Tacolilla, did you know he is also an S tier guitar player. Just check him out!

LOUD [11-12th] - disappointing performance
I'm not going to discredit LLL, because in the end, even they know, they fucked up. A performance like theirs is nothing to be ashamed of, as on this stage anything can happen and just a few mistakes can come back to bite you in your bum. I still think they are a team to beat, but need to address a few inefficiencies they have, especially on their T side. Shoutout to sacy, I hate to see the Reddit analysts bashing his name, like he ain't one of the best in the world.

Northeption [9-10th] - performance according to expectations
I was unfamiliar with them prior to this LAN and I did not expect them to make a deeper run here. It was a reasonable assumption but I think that they are currently little underrated. They are more than capable of giving your favorite team a run for their money and even stealing a match or two. We will see what the future holds for them. Meteor, I am sorry for not realizing how much of a beast you are earlier.

OPTIC [3rd] - performance slightly underwhelming
It is an FNC case 2.0. They were not the OPTIC we have expected to see due to a multitude of reasons but they still managed to make a deep run here, even with a few hiccups on the way. Still an S-tier team, still a contender and I'm glad that they are still confident in themselves. Shoutout to crashies, people keep forgetting how much of an impact you have in this team's success. 

PRX [People's champs] - performance above expectations [but according to mine lol]
Nothing much to be said here. Here's a GUILD Sayf tweet to tell you everything I want to tell you about this incredible team. [tweeted prior to final map of the tourney, but sums up their whole playstyle]
"Happy to see PPRX with this comp, proves that there is no specific way of playing this game. Creativeness and different approaches can still lead to tight matches. Take notes people, WE DONT NEED TO FOLLOW A CERTAIN META TO JUICE THINGS UP."
And juice thing up they did. This team deserves ALL THE LOVE. I hope other rosters follow in their footsteps and just go off as they did.

Xerxia [11-12th] - performance according to expectations
I'm not gonna sugarcoat this one. Xerxia is always one step behind of being the top dog for one reason or another and it has been like this for a while. I truly hope that they address this soon as I really think that they have the potential to shake the team tiers list up with few changes in the way they approach the game. And I wish them all the luck going further. Don't forget sScary is still the most underrated player on the international scene. 

XSET [7-8th]- performance according to expectations
Breaking the 4th place curse was great indeed, but how do you follow that up? Not like this. While I 100% believe in their individual ability to cause a ruckus, their team lacks something that will make them stand out from the rest. They keep gambling with the way they play, not risking when it would be a good thing to do, and risking too much in advantageous positions. Maybe it is a matter of time, maybe it is a matter of a reality check that they definitely received after this, I am not the one to speculate, but I just want to fully enjoy their incredible performances in the Champs. Young duo of zekken and Cryo is gonna be even more dangerous soon.

Read it all? W for you! Enjoy your day!

People that root for continuous roster changes are the same ones that complained about 100T doing it... ridicilous.

Fade is a better pair with current agents in the meta (example - Raze) and agents that are niche or unorthodox picks (Yoru).
She thrives in an enviorement like these which is reflected in her pick rate ofc.

Sova is still the best information gatherer in the game tho. It is just the current meta that lowered his pick rate.

Sayf

Funniest person in the pro scene and a nuts player

Steelseries Aerox 3 Wireless

Could be that FNC come back and 3-0 them... could be that PRX 3-0 them... and could be that FPX or OPTIC yeet them all off the server lol... so exciting either way

They are juggernauts fr, so exciting to watch, and so hard to counter

Tell me you don't know pro Valorant, without telling me you don't know pro Valorant lmao

hateful and disrespectful comments should never be an outlet tho

90% is baits and hateful threads tho
Site has been like this for a while and really sucks the fun out of actually trying to discuss something with people

problem is, vlr is still the best place to have at least somewhat of a decent discussion, so bullshitters need to be adressed

Mans stepped up again and again after the champs, and you say this...

...after one bad map...

Not even a winner receives 600k + what is this take

it's like you didn't even watch the game
actually, probably didn't watch it cause you wouldn't post this bs

I think FPX is gonna go through anyways, but DRX looks stable finally. Banger match either way.

IDK why people have this weird narrative regarding the watch parties. People that indulge in those streams are still consuming Valorant, and may just prefer a certain individual or their commentary. For example, Tarik for shits and giggles or Sliggy for a quick analysis and play breakdowns. People that just watch the person and have no interest in Valo or an ongoing tourney are a minority.

Optic faced the best team in the world at the time in Finals of Masters 3, and still they showed up.
Optic faced eventual champions during the Champions and fell to an upset due to a god tier performance from Pathipan.
Optic faced the teams that had more to offer at the time than any of the participating EMEA teams.
Masters Copenhagen is still ongoing.

There, fixed your desperate bait / flawed logic.

Is this only for Masters 2 Copenhagen? Or is it going to be available for all pickems created?

EDIT - MB, my brain did not process the info fully, this is a huge W for the site.

DRX looked better than ever tbh, but I have a hard time shaking off the feeling that what was inevitable so far, will happen again, and few bad round will ruin their momentum

Hot take btw - Luxe Vandal is the most underrated skin in the game

Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp a Butterfly

Frank Ocean - Channel Orange

The Very Best of Frank Sinatra Album - Frank Sinatra

Sentinels of the Light, watermelon (red/green) variant supremacy

you do realize default sound and forsaken sound are different, although just slightly

I'm ashamed to have the same flair as you.

Guild & Fnatic flairs users do not have bad takes lol

"Unstable"

Yeah, I do not know about that one chief. Teams' beating out favorites is a common thing tbh, we would call a lot of esports unstable if that was the primary determinant.

Fans create narratives around teams and upsets happen because the general expectation is "Team A will shit on Team B", when in reality, the skill gap is significantly smaller than portrayed by fans or even non-existent at times.
If you've followed Guild, for example, you would know that pairing them up with OPTIC could prove to be at least difficult for OPTIC.

When everyone is a potential X factor on the roster, like in FPX, anyone can step up. Anyone of those 5 guys has a case to be argued as the best player for FPX. Therefore, no. FPX are expected to perform decently, with a higher ceiling than someone whos run would be labeled as a "Cinderella" run.

to see what? all games starting earlier or later than intended to like in 95% of esports?

Why tho

Montenegro

No one is passionate about it too much. I know there's only 6 people playing in Immortal lobbies, and few people play sometimes here and there. Gaming in general here is yet to gain the popularity it has in the rest of the world.

ThinkingMansValo and, also often praised and criticized, ValorantAscended are content creators. Their analysis does not go into the greatest depth trying to point out why a team does something when the creative plays they portray are covered in their videos. It is not a matter of analyzing the game like the team analyst and coach would do in a pro scene, but rather something along the lines of "let's break down PRX A executes on Bind". Their play-by-play analysis allows them to nitpick rounds from a game for content. They do not focus on the whole game and the bigger picture for that purpose. They do not create anti-strats based on their opponents' tendencies, or something like that.

In my opinion, ThinkingMansValo's stream is both entertaining and educational to a certain extent, because you can 100% utilize his play breakdowns and analysis. It is not supposed to be LotharHS or Sliggy type of analysis, so some of the slander, like many others is just disrespectful.

No one is high up on them tbh. They are not in the same convo as FNC and FPX as of right now, but they do have a lot of potential to cause upsets. OPTIC may struggle a bit against them if not properly prepared to anti-strat them.
But on the flip side, it is their first LAN + crowd is present... gonna be interesting to see nonetheless.

I think they can create an upset, but not to that extent KRU did. Not because KRU at champs was a better team necessarily, but KRU are lot more momentum-based and can be inconsistent with their highs and lows. Leviatan has a loose structure, but their still a little bit more disciplined and refined in their approach to the game. Gonna be tough, but at least they are gonna have some practice against the top dogs of the Valorant scene.

Go Leviatan tho! I love to watch this team.

Like you have pointed out, many female players decide to go pro in GC. Since competition is not as good as it is in the regular VCTs, I'm going to assume that more dominant players in GC would earn more money there (just an assumption tho). It is flawed as we will not see players like meL compete in more competitive tournaments, but it is more than a great starting point for bridging the gap between what is currently a male-dominant scene.

This of course depends on Riot's and org's approach to this scene. I think Riot's approach so far has been good, but if the ultimate goal is raising the Game Changers scene to a near VCT level, then some changes need to be made, mostly from a PR perspective. Franchising could be a great building block, for example, make it mandatory for all teams into franchises to create a Game Changers roster within a year to compete, or something like that (I'm anything but an expert on this topic lol)

I mean, it is certified T2 Team of players who can ride that in between tiers wave.

Kinda like every forum site tbh
You just engage in the one that's worth engaging in your eyes and you'll enjoy it more

International stage is my main talking point, he is easily overshadowed in the debates and "best on their agent" talks, which is why I have included him.

I am very aware that he is known as a scary opponent to go up against (pun not intended)

that one I'll agree with

idk about that one tbh, its pretty common knowledge that Leo is probably the best player to not be present on international stage until now

And this kids, is how Netero's vilian arc began.

Given your flag and assuming you are from Croatia I would recommend saving up little more money (around 1000 euros). Store prices are sometimes 15-20% higher than if the parts are ordered from the internet. Then again, buying part by part would mean high shipping costs.

It is better to invest in a PC that'll be considered fairly good in the upcoming 5 years, than to be forced to buy never parts again in the next 2 or 3 years.

not in my or your eyes, but you'd be surprised how often he gets zero mentions when the international stage is up for debate

Underrated players 
I want to bring attention to a few players that can be that X factor for their teams and can shift the momentum into their favor, but are rarely being talked about...So here it goes, in no particular order... I will be skipping on a few teams, as I feel their "clout" has made everyone on their team noticed (OPTIC, Loud, FNATIC etc)
Feel free to mention some more underrated players down below.

DRX BuZz - Sentinel main for the team who's stats are surprisingly high even when he is taken off the Chamber duty. He is very calm and collected. Rarely makes mistakes like overswinging, going for hero plays etc. 

Guild koldamenta - lowkey an underrated IGL. Very efficient in clutch situations and seems to have a top-tier read on the game. His timings are also off the charts and he never has an issue putting his life on the line if it means placing his team in an advantageous position.

XERXIA sScary - Controller main and a top 5 player from APAC who rarely gets love. I was so impressed by his ability to utilize his own smokes to find frags and utilize them in a more "sentinel fashion". Absolute beast!

FPX ardiis - "Whatever you need him to be" main for FPX. The man utilized a lot of agents with high efficiency. He is one of the most selfless players in this Masters. Need a Jett? He can frag, or he can die and be traded for 2,3 kills. Need a KAY/O? Here are some free kills for you.

Leviatan Tacolilla - I have been on a LEV wave for a while now and made some at times ridiculous claims about them (which are now true). As much as I dislike Chamber being overused in this meta, very few can boast stats and impact on this agent as Tacolilla. 1.6KDA in like 20 games...(I don't like bringing up stats, but come on... 1.6!!!) Plus, the way he uses map to create off angles aggressively is a joy to watch.

PRX mindfreak - Controller main on the crazy PRX team. Want to know how they win rounds when JIngg and f0rsakeN die? Look no further! Precise smokes and utility, clutch gene, probably the best Brimstone in the world too... This man is crazily efficient.

P.S. Someone put me on NORTHEPTION wave, I gotta check them out too

I never indulged in Minecraft content after like 2016, but he was the one I never stopped watching cause of his comedic value.

Even in the toughest moments of his life, he remained hopeful, positive and he was still energetic. When cancer news was shared for the first time, it hit me, but he never allowed it to be the focal point of his videos. I never thought it was this serious. He was always downplaying it. Its a shame really.

Always remember him as someone who never allowed his fame to come before his own addicting persona, who amidst all circumstances remained the Alex (I'm glad I know his name now).

TechnobladeNeverDies

We all know, PRX, double duelist comps, press W, click heads, win formula. I feel like their playstyle often is dumbed down. Yes, they are extremely aggressive and their stars JInggg and f0rsakeN are statistically monstrous but they are rarely not properly set-up to "go kill", especially on their attack side. Their rapid fire playstyle translates well into frags, because of their unexpected rapid fire of utility. They have placed 4th in Masters 1, but with hand on the heart, they beat out G2 and The Guard who did not play their best Valorant back than. Since than, PRX looks more polished, which is ridiculous to say, given their unorthodox approach.

A) Why I think they have potential to win it?

On the biggest stage of competition it is fine margins that make a difference between 2 teams. One good read mid game, and momentum is swinging the other way. PRX have the biggest advantage here. You cannot really outwit them, because you never know what they will do. Reading them mid round is almost impossible as they can take site in matter of seconds. Teams that prefer the slower playstyles will have a tough time buying time on defense for rotations, IGLs will struggle to call against them, as in the heat of the moment it is hard to determine what the opposition is doing and call a proper counter setup. Safe to say, we will see a lot of retake attempts if this is the case. Additionally they have showed in few instances how slow the PRX can be (yes it is a rare sight, but an existing one) but if they were to utilize this unexpected change of pace, they are in full control of the game.

B) PRX is still a momentum based team...

...and is the reason why I'm afraid for them. If team they are going up against something unexpected, and they get caught off guard, especially on defense, their mental could be going in a downward spiral (they are a young team, after all). Team like Guild could frustrate them by just not giving them early picks with their total opposite playstyle, which would result in wasted utility. Team like OPTIC could also frustrate them with one precise pick of yay, who is always happy to leave the fight after one pick, boiling down their game, to the numbers game. These few potential scenarios could mean their early exit, which is honestly something I personally don't want to see, because this team is a joy to watch.

They are a dark horse contender riding a fine line between an S+ & S tier team. But which scenario is more likely? A or B?

Well, Riot did feature 100T in League, right? They were a start-up also, with all risks you have mentioned.
I mean, Riot could choose to bet on Guild too if they performances manage to be good as they slowly generate a fanbase. You never know.

I don't think this would be a crucial factor, as Guild Esports is still a start-up, like it is stated in the article. They have yet to work out some sponsorship deals and whatnot. It is not strange for a start-up to generate losses initially due to a multitude of factors. Still, 5 mil quid is lowkey alarming for investors.

thing is most low elo players tend to create a habit out of it and it is harder to get rid of that habit than it is to implement it once you reach higher elo and crouching is calculated action rather than an impulsive one

syouta seems to have insane stats

Just look at Zeta VODs and how SugarZ3ro plays. He is so gifted at finding himself in advantageous positions using nothing but his default smokes set up for his team and is as mechanically gifted as dep and laz... Literally top 5 controller in the world.
Stats don't mean shit, especially for a controller player.

I think NIP can beat KRU tbh