Pretty much opposite over here. People tried Valo for like a year or so then all seem to have gone back to CS.

I genuinely haven't heard of someone playing it in years. I assumed it just died out.

People play that game as an eSport?

I think it's more nostalgia because EDG were the first Chinese heavy hitters.

Literally only people I've seen talk shit about him are either NA or fake flag APAC (The Majority of PRX flairs).

Unironically I see PRX losing to G2 in the first match then storming through lower bracket.

I really don't see EDG beating Heretics though, FPX looked so much better than EDG has for a while and it came really close with an eventual loss.

If we're talking a Valorant year then you're forgetting Tokyo last year. Otherwise you're deliberately moving goalposts to include only 2 tournaments when a Val year is 3.

I think it'd have to be both strat development and growing talent. It doesn't matter how good your strats and players are, sometimes you will still lose due to the minutiae of the game. You have to ensure you're going to get as many chances as possible at the trophy which means you need to ensure you're going to have top end players permanently.

Basically you have to play the percentages, it's what Astralis did and they've had the most prevalent era of any team.

Turkish-American. Pretty sure he speaks the language no?

Talent spread was an issue everywhere imo. The development scene was the big issue but it was to do with where NA orgs out their funding compared to EU orgs.

Imo the match fixing issue was earlier than that considering iBUYPower happened. Remember although he wasn't involved in the scandal, one of the teams members was in the only major winning team for NA. If the match fixing didn't happen maybe that IBP team would have achieved a lot more.

Franchising stupidity imo

NGL FPX looked better than I've ever felt EDG looked.

They clearly changed their gameplay as they went and improved or tried different things.

These are possibly the worst superteam proposals I've ever seen.

CSGO was uncontested by Valorant in eSports until 2021. NA collapsed in CS because players demanded ridiculous pay for average performance and orgs started pulling out. As a result orgs that remained only picked up tried and tested players instead of developing homegrown talent which led to teams aging and getting worse.

The only region that actually had a player base issue hindering their growth was APAC in CS. Solo spent his entire career working on it in Korea and AUS likely would have done something crazy if they had more players/orgs to keep their scene active.

Not even a chance. Tarik struggles on faceit these days. He's not going to be able to win tournaments against young prodigies like Donk.

It's been analysed to death but the core of it is that NA CS focuses too much on individual heroics or executions whereas EU focused heavily on mid rounding and small team plays (i.e 2/3 person treats). Astralis changed how the game was played and NA never caught on to it. The 2 times an NA team got high again later were Liquid and NRG/EG and both times it was insane individuals carrying them but its not consistent for tournament to tournament.

Ah shit that hurts then. At least he got a long time on the team so will likely have been noticed. Valorant franchising is dreadful for players getting maybe 1 tournament then being dropped down to tier 2 again and nobody even getting a chance to see what they're capable of with high tier support and development.

You genuinely don't even need bait with the shit takes so many people have for this eSport. As it is the forum is just a bait fiesta, especially during match times.

How long was he on the team for? I know he's been around for ages in general.

I can't say I follow Americas outside of playoff matches. What happened to Net?

I would say all bait merchants need to touch grass tbh. This forum is borderline Reddit tier because of them.

If everything is bait there is no point responding to any of if

Nobody cares who you think deserves a win. Winning is winning whatever copium you huff.

I actually respect it if they win. Absolutely nobody believed in them during Americas playoffs it felt.

Plus leaf got death threats from BR CS at 16/17 for being too good. Nice to see him continue to do well.

You keep yapping but they still have 2 trophies. You'd try and claim a FIFA world cup as a fluke.

He genuinely believes his shit though, gets mentioned off site weirdly too. Only similar things I can remember were I think it was babysasuke or Revlo who got roasted on the forums by Chronicle.

I weirdly respect that more than bait merchants though. At least stand by your shit takes.

If there was less bait merchants I wouldn't have to filter out flags and flairs when in threads.

If you believe in fluke tournament wins I don't know what to tell you my guy. You're clearly delulu.

You mean 2 tournaments later when Fnatic had fallen off and been anti-stratted to death?

Keep coping lilbro.

You mean the team that lost the finals to FNC and gave them a trophy? Not really ownership is it?

Unironically don't think Trembo is as retarded as most of the list.

Dudes been here years, the rest are just young bait merchants.

Tbf makes sense, they've probably scrimmed them loads whereas G2 are a slight unknown for them.

Probably because GenG look the most put together out of the Swiss stage teams.

Imo both teams a shaky at the moment. Although Fnatic looked somewhat like their old selves in the later half of the last 3 matches.

If they've actually worked on keeping that consistent I don't think GenG can touch them on a good day. That being said the odds of it being a clownfiesta of both teams doing comebacks is highly likely.

Personally not convinced GenG are that scary compared to last LAN. Both teams they beat 2-1 in the Swiss stage didn't even make it to playoffs.

They were starting to look it towards the end of the EMEA playoffs.

If they've tightened up they would be scary again.

It's less about the landmass imo. EU = European for me. Probably why Russia is always included in EU stuff and Turkey isnt always. Still glad to see them doing well, have always wanted them to do something since SMB.

Fair enough. I tend to follow my standard rule of I support EU like I do in CS. EMEA seems so artificial to me. It's why TR is weird for me because they're not EU but they always play within EU. Kind of honorary I guess.

Genuinely the most cringe shit from NA. At least EMEA is consistent that RU is part of EU. TR on the other hand I'm torn on, not technically EU but if they're going to be grouped with anyone in eSports it would be us seeing as ME is practically non-existent.

Regardless glad to see them doing well.

As per usual, NA copesters saying SA isn't Americas when they lose and claiming them only when they win.

There is a reason nobody takes NA seriously absolutely anywhere.

I want 5 duelist comps.

Huff more copium. "Tournament doesn't count because a team I don't like won it"

Loud got beaten from a 9-3 lead and Boaster got a knife kill. You can't tell me that isn't Fnatic playing poorly prior then pulling their finger out their arse.

Nobody was close at Tokyo, PRX were great compared to everyone else but it was never really a debate of them potentially beating Fnatic.

Champs Fnatic just fell off, I reckon the anti-stratting likely caught up with them too but it's not really an excuse. They looked shaky all tournament.

Tbf no other team in general looked competitive last year until EG at Champs. Every close game Fnatic had prior seemed more like them messing up rather than the other team doing well.

Op is the most embarrassing forum specimen since babysasuke I swear.

334 days ago but still somehow only 3 tournaments ago. Valorant seasons are such shit.

Why is VCT always using rap music. No variation in the music at all

G2 were potentially just on a hot streak form wise and could have cooled off. Lev have shown for a long time how consistently strong they can be.

Okay I may have to start supporting C9 in Americas because I love coach/players who interact on VLR like this.

Didn't know the east coast was in Ottawa.

It's fine, I have NordVPN so I fear no intelligence agency.

Are we really pretending NA teams would ever win without the Leafs?

TenZ and FNS are arguably the 2 biggest impact players in any trophies either have won.