Top 5 VALORANT teams, players in 2021
Riot’s FPS shooter game VALORANT has rapidly grown into one of the biggest esports titles in the world despite all the criticism that it has received over the months.
Although the competitive circuit did appear shaky at first, it improved with each tournament, and by the time the Valorant Champions Tour arrived, the Masters event in Reykjavik had grown to become one of the major esports events in the first half of 2021.
The VALORANT Champions 2021 event in Berlin brought the yearly Valorant Champions Tour to a close for fans all around the world. Over ten thousand teams from all over the globe played in various phases of the event, with Acend emerging as the first World Champions of VALORANT.
However, there are also a lot of players from another team that is regarded as the best players among other professional VALORANT Here are the top five players, in no particular order.
Team Sentinels, Tyson ‘TenZ’ Ngo
TenZ stepped into the spotlight almost three months into the year when he joined the Sentinels to replace Jay ‘sinatraa’ Won. He then helped the team win the VCT Stage 1 Masters ten days later, kicking off an incredible streak that ended with a trophy at the Stage 2 Masters in Reykjavik.
His ludicrous mechanical skills were developed through his early playing of Call of Duty and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. Throughout the year, he has been seen using a variety of Duelists, with Jett being his most effective pick. With the Operator in his possession, TenZ poses an immediate threat to all of his opponents.
Team Gambit Esports, Ayaz “nAts” Akhmetshin
In June 2020, Ayaz ‘nAts’ Akhmetshin, a former Russian professional CS: GO player, signed with VALORANT. He joined the popular Russian team, Gambit Esports three months later and has since established himself as one of the best players in the world.
Although nAts is often seen in defensive roles, he doesn’t shy away from fragging. He has received immense support from all corners of the globe for his iconic Viper and Cypher plays, which are widely recognized by players and viewers alike.
Team Liquid, Adil ‘ScreaM’ Benrlitom
ScreaM, often known as the “Headshot Machine,” is Team Liquid standout player from Belgium known for his pinpoint accuracy. During the VCT Maters 2 Reykjavik, he was the only player to come close to TenZ in terms of KDA.
As the main Duelist for Team Liquid and one of the greatest Reyna players in the VALORANT professional scene, ScreaM maintains a 1.47 career K/D thanks to his aggressive rifling skills.
Team Acend, Mehmet Yağız ‘cNed’ İpek
The Turkish Valorant player entered the scene early with BBL Esports in July 2020. The 19-year-old was then named to Acend, a newly founded European team in March 2021. cNed flourished in Acend and became one of the top players in 2021.
In addition to Jett, cNed also likes to play as Sage on Bind. His extreme reflexes and dynamic use of the Operator makes him a menace in gunfights. cNed and Acend finished the year-long tournament circuit by beating Gambit Esports to earn the Valorant Champions title for 2021.
Team Fnatic, Nikita ‘Derke’ Sirmitev
One of Europe’s brightest stars in 2021 is probably none other than Derke, a player who deserves international success. Though he did not win a big trophy, he was a constant threat in every tournament that he participated in. First playing for CrowCrowd he led the team to one of the top places in Stage 1 Challengers 2. The Finnish-Russian duelist won his first MVP of the year in February.
It wasn’t long before he was playing for Fnatic, which gave him a permanent spot on the team after just two maps, and he was chosen as the MVP of the VCT Stage 2 Challengers 2 and earned three MVP awards at the Stage 2 Masters in Reykjavik. Though Fnatic finished in 5th–8th place at Valorant Champions, Derke’s talent never dulled and he even made it to the top of the tournament’s charts.
