With all the regional qualifications wrapped up, it’s time to head for the first major VALORANT event of the year, the VCT 2022 Masters - Reykjavik. Here we take a look at the players to watch from each competing region, discussing key aspects of their gameplay, their statistics, and their recent results.
What is VCT 2022: Masters Reykjavik?
VCT 2022 Masters: Reykjavik is the first Masters event of the year and it will also be the first interregional tournament of the current VCT calendar. Twelve of the best teams from across the world will take the stage in Reykjavik to battle it out for the Masters crown. The tournament runs from April 10 to April 24 and will feature a group stage with a double-elimination bracket format.
What regions will be represented at VCT 2022 Masters: Reykjavik?
- North America (NA)
- Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA)
- Korea (KR)
- Asia-Pacific (APAC)
- Japan (JP)
- Brazil (BR)
- Latin America (LATAM)
Who are the players to look out for from each region at VCT 2022 Masters: Reykjavik?
“trent” has taken North American VALORANT by storm. His current form has played an essential role in the recent success of his team, The Guard. He finished the last stage of the VCT with the highest Average Combat Score (ACS) for a non-Duelist player and topped the charts for multiple metrics throughout VCT 2022: North America Stage 1 Challengers. He plays the Initiator role for The Guard, playing agents such as Sova, Breach, and Skye. His performance as Sova especially shines over the others, with him putting up Duelist-level performances on that agent.
“trent” finished VCT 2022: North America Stage 1 Challengers as the player with the highest ACS on both Sova and Skye, and while one could argue that the whole The Guard roster is talented, “trent” is the player that stands out.
2. Zygimantas “nukkye” Chmieliauskas (EMEA)
“nukkye” has been the main catalyst in G2 Esports’ recent uptick in performance. Not only has he transitioned into the Duelist role seamlessly but he also continues to post ridiculous numbers. He is quite flexible too, playing a wide variety of agents such as Sova and Raze.
He finished VCT 2022: EMEA Stage 1 Challengers as the player with the highest ACS and Average Damage per Round (ADR), and also contributed up to 27% of the first kills on attack for G2 Esports during the Stage 1 Challengers. This statistic sounds even more incredible when you consider that he did this whilst also acting as In-Game Leader (IGL) for the team.
Finishing as the player with the highest ACS in a highly competitive region like EMEA is no small feat. This is why “nukkye” will be the player to watch at VCT 2022 Masters: Reykjavik from the EMEA region.
LOUD are the latest iteration of a Brazilian superteam and probably the best yet. The roster comprises some of the most talented players that played in the VCT BR last year. Among them, the most impressive player was “aspas”. For a while now, “aspas” has been heralded as one of the hidden gems of Brazilian VALORANT. The young talent topped nearly every kill statistic during the Stage 1 Challengers in Brazil. He also finished as the player with the highest ACS.
“aspas” has been a revelation on the LOUD roster. He is not a player to be ignored and will surely look to prove a point at the VCT 2022 Masters: Reykjavik.
“BuZz” was by far the best Korean player in the latter half of 2021 and his dip in form coincided with his team’s dip in form. Over the course of the offseason, the DRX roster went through multiple changes, including changes in roles. However, “BuZz” regained his form going into 2022, ending the qualification stage with the highest ACS for any non-Duelist player in Korea.
His ability to adjust to any role will play a pivotal part in DRX’s success in Reykjavik and he will surely be the player to watch from Korea.
5. Jason “f0rsakeN” Susanto (APAC)
Paper Rex qualified for VCT 2022 Masters: Reykjavik as the top-seeded team from APAC. They had a clean run through the qualifiers, not dropping a single series on their run towards Iceland. While the roster on a whole has many star players, none come close to “f0rsakeN”. In the knockout stage alone, he managed a Kill Per Round of 1.02, the highest at the event. He also displayed his ability to be flexible as he has played a variety of agents such as Neon, Jett, and even Yoru!
If Paper Rex hope to make a deep run into the playoffs in Reykjavik, getting “f0rsakeN” online will be key.
6. Angelo “keznit” Mori (LATAM)
“keznit” rose to prominence during his team’s Cinderella run during last year’s VCT 2021: Champions tournament, where his performances caught the eyes of fans and analysts alike. During this year’s qualification stage, he continued his good form and has topped his team’s charts in every possible metric. He finished the event with an ADR of 171 whist maintaining a Kills Per Round of 0.89 - both of which were the highest in the tournament.
Performances like these are what set “keznit” apart from the rest of his peers last year. He will look to set the server on fire once again with his performances at VCT 2022 Masters: Reykjavik.
ZETA DIVISION had an abysmal end to the year as they failed to qualify for VCT 2021: Champions. The organisation went through a complete rebuild ahead of the upcoming stage of the VCT, and the signing of “Dep” has been nothing short of a revelation for the Japanese squad. “Dep”, who was previously known for his time in Overwatch, hit the ground running for the team, finishing the qualification stage with a Kill-to-Death ratio (KD) of 1.33 - the highest in Japan.
“Dep” will be making his international debut at VCT 2022 Masters: Reykjavik and will definitely look to leave his mark on the world stage.
