With Valorant Champions being this close, we’ve decided to revisit the groups and throw in our own predictions for the final Valorant Champions Tour event of the year. The excitement is palpable as we’re inching closer to the first round of matches.
The four groups are all quite evenly matched, and Riot have done a great job at not lumping two or more stronger contenders into the same basket right away. This way, there’s a good chance most of the favourites will pull through the group stage and we’ll be able to witness some incredible playoff matches.
Who are the Favourites
As with any other esports tournament, there’s always a clear favourite and a potential underdog team. Today, we’ll point out some of the favourites and shed some light on their performance, and give our best shot at spotting the underdogs who could throw balance out of the window and cause some early upsets in the Valorant Champions.
Group A
Acend, despite crashing and burning in the VCT Stage 3 Masters in Berlin, are still one of the main candidates to win in group A. They’ve been sharpening their skills in Red Bull Home Ground #2 and LVP – Rising Series – Finale, where they finished second and first respectively.
They should have no issues against the Brazilians, Keyd Stars, or the Thai team X10 CRIT. However, if they face Team Envy, it could be a different story.
Speaking of Envy, they’re one of the best Valorant teams from the NA region. They’re the team that eliminated Sentinels in Berlin and gave Gambit a run for their money. Definitely the favourites, and the team that’s most likely to pass the group along with Acend.
Group B
Group B is the Sentinels’ hunting ground. What’s left to say for a team that has won every single tournament in Valorant Champions Tour, with the exception of VCT Masters in Berlin, where they didn’t even need a win to qualify.
They are the main favourites of group B, and a team that many expect to see in the grand final. Their first match is against FURIA Esports, and while FURIA are great in their own rights, they honestly stand no chance against Sentinels.
Team Liquid should be able to easily dismantle the Argentinians, KRÜ Esports. Their main objective is to prepare for the winners’ match where they’ll almost certainly face Sentinels. This will be the highlight of group B, and a match where we’ll most likely see Valorant betting spike sky-high.
Group C
The winners of the VCT Stage 3 Masters – Berlin, Gambit Esports, are the clear favourites in this group. This CIS powerhouse is not to be messed with, as they’ve proven earlier. They have a very capable team, and you can bet they’re aiming for the top.
Gambit has one of the easiest groups, and they should have no issues making it into the playoffs. They beat Crazy Racoon twice in Berlin, so they have no problems facing them in the winners’ match, if the Racoon wins against Team Vikings.
Team Secret is an interesting team in this group. We all know that Secret dominates the Dota 2 esports scene, but they’re quite new to Valorant so it’s hard to know what to expect. In any case, Gambit should have this one in the bag, but we’re curious to see how Secret will perform in the match against the Russian giants.
Group D
Group D is perhaps the best group in the entire event, and if not the best, then at least the most interesting one.
First of all, we’ve got the Korean giants Vision Strikers. These guys have some impressive stats across the board, and the interesting fact is that this will be their second Valorant LAN event. They have a scary lineup and can easily climb to the grand final if the stars align for them.
Then we have Fnatic, a team that was considered to be perhaps the best EU team not that long ago, but they fell off in the recent months, while Acend and Team Liquid climbed into the spotlight. Fnatic are here to regain their glory and show everyone what they’re capable of.
And lastly, we have our main underdog pick, Cloud9 Blue. This is a team that many remember as the team that once had TenZ in their lineup, but there’s so much more to this squad. They’ve recently won the VCT: NA LCQ against all Valorant esports odds, and secured a spot in Valorant Champions.
They have potential and could cause an early upset against Fnatic, and perhaps snowball it into a victory against Vision Strikers later. Statistically speaking, this is quite unlikely, but you simply never know. However, if you’re looking for a risky bet with a high payout, this is it.
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