https://x.com/loud_lukxo1/status/1893036246819057817

March 7th

his stats at shanghai were quite insane

during the offseason, I was wondering what the team would be like -miniboo with woot going to full time duelist and bringing in another flex

Why are TH struggling? I heard that woot didn't want to learn lineups so they swapped him to full time controller

in every aspect too. From prep, util, mechanics, all of them are one step ahead (big step too)

Only the APAC and AMER teams made it through swiss, while this year, its looks like only 1 seeds are going through

.....

Every region is one team region, all the 2 seeds got smacked 2-0, pretty convincingly too LUL

I genuinely do hope so. I just don't like the guided missiles

is there any leaks regarding it?

Im just being a bitch and complaining about nothing really, just personal preferences LUL

I just don't like watching tejo every map, and it plays the same for every team. Its great for the teams bc they've optimized the usage of his util perfectly.

Just to discuss some of the gameplay, you can't really anchor against a good tejo, there is just too util combined with the tejo. Its hard to play retake bc by then the missiles are up again. So you then have to play fast flood or play before the util. Since a team knows you play fast flood/retake, then teams save omen flash like drx did vs sen. Im just being a bitch and complaining about nothing really

its more of me wanting a balance if possible and not just a "set" meta if that makes sense. Chamber, astra, skye were ran on every map it felt. I liked last year's "meta" the best because although gekko and neon were strong, it didn't feel like a must pick. Compared to now, every top team is play tejo and obviously teams will play different stuff as the year goes on. I just like variety I guess like the teams trying to run chamber now is cool asf to me

but like tejo has made it where cypher/kj feel pointless. To play against a vyse is heavy default to find the wall, you HAVE to trigger the wall with a body to create pressure unlike the other senti where util can break it. Vyse feels like the only senti, you can't really bully, idk if its a good thing or bad thing. I hated it when everyteam was perma cypher last year and its trending to perma vyse

I love the yoru bc we've seen alot of cool outplays

I loved the idea of tejo bc it introduced a new playstyle in vct, but now it feels like every map there is a tejo (not literally, but its alot). I was hoping for more variety, it kinda feels like astra, chamber again, where if you don't have good tejo player, you're left behind. Then obviously riot is gonna inevitably nerf tejo, which will force every team to go back to old meta stuff.

Is the answer to introduce new maps more often (or atleast try too)? You can't just keep introducing new agents bc unless they're extremely op, it'll never overtake the older stuff. What is it about cs that makes the events so hype? Like the game is the same shit for the past who knows how long but yet every event I watch, its always so entertaining, then with valo, only the clout matches feel hype to me

the effects of losing your duo (no tenz = no kids = no wins)

damn i fucked it up 😔

zmjjkk is an absolute monster on the server, a player whose mechanical skill and game sense make him look like he's playing an entirely different game. His aim is pixel-perfect, locking onto heads with terrifying precision, and his movement is so fluid it feels like he’s gliding across the map. Whether he’s holding down the c site on Lotus with just a ghost or dismantling sentiluls with insane crosshair placement, zmjjkk makes it look effortless. His ability to read the game and outmaneuver opponents is next level, constantly making plays that leave even top-tier players questioning their existence. Watching him play isn’t just entertaining—it’s a masterclass in dominance.

Its an upgrade in terms of firepower but not synergy, bc the duo of tenz/zekken with sacy/zellsis was unmatched vibes

I don't think that is a fair statement bc they werent' odds on favorites to beat DRX or FNC. Even against EDG on lotus, 6-6 at half going into your atk half, that could've been a 2-0 but they "choked". Against TH on icebox, 7-5 at half going into atk half, it also could've been 2-0. Getting close to beating the two finalist, I can't say is lucky

Obviously I'm saying this right after a loss, so take it with a grain of salt. 24' sen always felt like they could change gears, bad half? they could string it together and make it competitive. Granted I could be remember wrong and just missing the old roster LUL

c0m and sacy are pretty good examples for this theory as well. EG made sova look insane on fracture when most considered it a bad sova map, but c0m played it perfectly.

but the idea of flexibility is to catch teams off guard, with a game like valo. You can really throw off a team with a one and done comp

Even when streaky they pulled off wins, with this roster, idk if its mental or something, but if they start a game bad it just feels like its over without a fight.

It makes sense from sen POV bc its "silly" gameplay right? You never want your initiator to have FD however, he's best when hes the aggressor and now that he's not, it seems like he is losing every duel.

If I'm playing pure senti, I can get a couple off just util alone but get aim diff'd in every fair duel. So max 5

Not comparing the skill level bc different team, different meta so not a fair comparison. However, I will compare gameplay. The 24' sen roster had two "bad" aimers in zellsis and sacy but yet they still placed well at champs and that was thanks to team play and moving as a pack. The roster seems to lack alot of protocols and try to rely on individualisms, this series against DRX felt like a pure aim diff. The 24' roster was inflexible however, the roles were clear and now with this roster, it feels like a cluster.

You have zellsis off of breach when most people considered his util some of the best ITW? No hate but n4rrate is a "selfish" player in the sense that he's not a sacy and will never be (backline support), why not try to run him on duelist more? I trust zekken to more consistent off duelist than n4rrate.

This team just doesn't feel like it has an identity, some games great and other games terrible

I've seen alot of people talking down on kamo and kamyk, was it justified?

Is this a KC/zeta Cinderella story, where they pop off bc there isn't enough prep? Or are they top 4 for the rest of the year in EMEA?

I haven't watch enough of their games to rate them but platchat/sliggy rate them heavy it seems

honestly you might be cooking, the fragging of meteor and texture with the support of munchkin and karon. Lakia might not frag but he brings alot. Man if only that was possible

apparently stomping in scrims... so we'll see

kangkang, rb

Genuinely surprised by these moves, yoman picked it up at the end

The rumor is estrella, but he doesn't play sova or fade, would munchkin switch to that role? Would love to see zest back NGL.

JaXe is for foxy9 but was a duelist main prior to this. Is there no other established senti-korean players? Bring RB back from china (mega bias from me)

its the masters bk account, bc I think zekken had a similar name too

Verno not happy with FNS, FNS say "you gone". Bonkar say "he gone then I gone". FNS "shiii say less"

If you don't want to watch the video like I did, here's a TLDR courtesy of chatGPT

In NRG VALORANT's Offscript Episode 10, titled "Let's Talk About Verno...", the team delves into the recent roster changes, specifically focusing on the decision to move Verno and Bonkar to the reserve roster. FNS, the in-game leader, provides insights into the factors influencing this decision.

Key Points Discussed:

Performance and Team Dynamics:
FNS emphasizes that the decision was not based on a single tournament's outcome but was the result of ongoing internal issues affecting team cohesion and performance.
The team recognized that, despite Verno's individual talent, there were challenges in integrating his playstyle with the existing roster.

Communication and Vision:
Differences in strategic vision and communication styles between Verno, Bonkar, and the rest of the team led to misalignments during practice and official matches.
FNS notes that while Verno showed promise, aligning on the team's approach and in-game philosophies was challenging.

Organizational Support:
The organization decided to move Verno and Bonkar to the reserve roster, allowing them to remain part of NRG while exploring options that better fit their skills and career aspirations.
This move reflects NRG's commitment to both team performance and the professional growth of its players and staff.

The episode provides a transparent look into the complexities of team management in professional esports, highlighting the difficult decisions organizations must make to maintain competitive performance.

Nothing super important it seems, super PR answers

cS vS vAl?

Cs SuPeRiOr GaMe I tHiNk, tHoUgHtS?

who gives a shit, just play the game you like

Seems like chet/FNS are the problems

Personality clashes most likely. Verno seems like a guy who just tells you how it is without hesitation and that often doesn't bode well

And thats why there is 5 people on a roster and not just 1. You get players that compliment his, he doesn't comm alot - get someone who does. Not a hype get - get a "zellsis". Proof is that he's played with mitch, skuba, reduxx, rustun on oxg for a long time, so clearly with the right people it works. It just didn't work with NRG but that doesn't mean hes a bad kid/teammate

G2 vs Trace: Mid Chance (Trace have alot of cool ideas but wont be enough)
DRX vs SEN: High Chance (SEN have always leveled up at internationals and this is alot of first for DRX)
VIT vs T1: Low Chance (Individuals are too good)
EDG vs TL: High Chance (Most likely recency bias and just alittle down on EDG, but also high chance of just being a wash for EDG)

For bang to win at bang kok, banging kok

monesy is moving to valo.....? sheeshhh g2 really cooking LUL

i got bored

TL are such a hard team to rank, sometimes they look amazing, next second is bronze gameplay

Did ChatGPT cook or nah?

1. G2
2. VIT
3. EDG
4. SEN
5. DRX
6. TL
7. TE
8. T1

I hope there is an official statement soon bc its hard to believe, when the entire core of OXG spoke so highly of each other

you could grab skuba, who has played with verno and bonkar. Not saying he's better but not THAT much worse

verno punched someone??? is the source reliable?

yes not the best players but they don't have a bad track record and can shoot straight

When you only have 1 year of s0m/FNS and the team is bad, its tempting to jump ship no? This isn't a tenz/sacy situation where they had a real opportunity to win. Try to get stellar/skuba and keep verno/bonkar