Aspas: not at Champs 2026 (was at Champs 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025)
Drx: not at Champs 2026 (has been to every other Champions event)
Fnatic: not at Champs 2026 (has been to every other Champions event)
2026 is a fluke year with brainless meta (rng game)
edit (more evidence):
now that u say this, DRX are gonna go undefeated through playins and playoffs, same with FNC, and MIBR are gonna beat LEV and flawless playoffs
u just coping cuz memea is the only region without a top3 finish in any tournament, even ewc LOL.
2026 is a fluke year with brainless meta
shitality cant even win in a brainless meta kekw
FNATIC getting 13-0'd?
DRX getting bodied?
Aspas is the only one where I'm like: "He can pop off, but MIBR are still somehow not clicking and dominating." My theory is that Kick-Off's triple loss to not qualify for Santiago broke them a bit. Losing 3 Bo5s back-to-back in 3 days with no breaks is soul-crushing.
fnatic was 1 game off qualifying for every international until Champs. they were not that bad this year
2-3 vs M8 kickoff (had a 12-10 and 12-11 lead) and 0-3 vs TL
0-2 vs VIT stage1 (choked a 9-3 lead). also choked a 12-9 to TH in lowers and lost 1-2
2-3 vs KC ewcQual and 1-2 NAVI ewcqual (choked a 9-2 lead)
trash in stage 2
That doesn't look like a fluke. It looks like a pattern throughout this whole year. Bottling leads, crumbling in the final stretch. Broadly speaking, FNATIC have struggled to maintain their competitive nature, and it's ended up with them in a long run to reach the playoffs and to subsequently reach that top 2 spot for automatic qualification or top 3 to even points with FUT.
It's because they lost too many core players, many people argue leo, veqaj are terrible but their role is much important to the system fnc has built with boaster, around his calls, prime fnc wasn't hard to play against because their mechanics were good, it's because of that very system where sometimes boaster did not have to even say before his team knew what to do.
Easily the worst year of valorant esports for sure. So many stomps and boring games even in internationals. The meta is too snowball. Neon is cancer and should be killed already.
So all the ancient geriatric frauds are finally having to contend for a slot now?
Yep, hope the riot devs take a good long look at this year and realise how much they fucked up(they wont and they definitely wont admit it) we're probably gonna be stuck with the game being like this for another year
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