FNS without a doubt. But beyond watchparties, I find the s0m, shanks and subroza trio quite entertaining.

A lot of football sympathisers in the chat (or should I say “soccer” 🤣), for I might actually agree with cameran for once, despite the possible ragebait. VCT for me is leagues hands down more entertaining than football ever could be. Just a nice ass game that we all love and enjoy, amirite?

G2 need to lock tf in and win it because they have a great shot at it. They're definitely favoured over EDG/FUT next too. It's about time they do it.

Okay no ragebait but if you’re playing at the highest level, would you rather play “ethical” or play to win? (And I’m quoting ethnically because buying Odin ≠ unethical, just what people think it to be)

The thing is, after NRG won champs and we opened into 2026, Odin was (and still is) heavily underutilised for how good teams have seen it to be just a few months ago. How many teams have you seen actively embrace or at least experiment with the gun in their comps? For me, it’s less about pro players worrying about the reputation and more about that fixation with rifles that really holds them back. I’m bring up outlaw again, but I’ve not seen light shield abusers like NRG or LEV get punished by the other team either outlaw at all, even when it’s clear looking at the credits that they can only half buy or force with light.

Coming to the Odin - do you seriously expect me to believe that players cannot get better with the Odin if they don’t practice it enough? The issue is, even now nobody is willing to put in the time to master something in the meta that has been there for a good while. Which doesn’t make sense because they’re salaried pros playing at the highest levels, and they’ll want to take any advantage they can get at the end of the day, since winning is what matters. And if I was a pro player wanting to stand out or get picked up, I would want to abuse or be known for abusing something niche like the Odin and get easy value from it, when other teams are ignoring or refusing to even give it a shot.

Username checks out

My question is - why is it an issue? It’s literally a gun that’s available for everyone to buy and players should try to get any advantage they can to win. It’s like some players who abuse outlaw on eco/half (like something/babybay), which you could argue is even more broken. If you were as good as him at the gun, wouldn’t you also buy it everytime?

You do realise that every single player can buy it too, right? But not everyone can do it like him

Not team “deserves” to make it through anything. If they’re really want to be champions and lift the trophy, they should focusing on being the best and winning against any team they’re put against. As simple as that.

Have you ever gotten a bet right yet? I’ve only seen you lose

Idk why they would even pick split

But 4 years with hardly anything to show for makes you wonder if he’s not the problem as the only constant on the team, despite being one of their “best” players

If I remember correctly, NA (USA) has won 5 trophies, 3 master's and 2 champs
So purely going off of trophies you've gotta give it to them

If the team cannot adapt to meta changes, are they still the best team who deserve to win the tournament? Like c'mon bruh

You're damn right my boi! Patmen just the goat for me! Definitely one of my fav players to watch and he has been unleashed as a flex on GE, which is exciting to see

GE

Reaver

Good to see that they’re already preparing for the London meta in a way

Aside from the obvious baited stuff everyone talks about, I just hate seeing him buy an op on attack, hardly get any value, and hardly ever drop it to a teammate to entry. He’s literally got zekken on his team who just solo slides in and dies, when double diving with him would be so much more valuable.

I get that he values his life and wants to stay alive, but c’mon it has gotten absurd lately. He might have the stats and get the kills, but they don’t mean much if they’re not impactful. He just needs to get out of his shell and play more freely. Definitely saw glimpses of hope vs Kru yesterday (esp on fracture), but it’s too early to tell.

I wish it was 1775 VP instead. 2175 is too overpriced for what it offers. Just classic riot just inflating skins prices.

I think his time as a consistent top duelist has long been over. Investing in the new gen should be the move imo. And with the results they got, i wouldn’t even be surprised if they go for more chances or a full revamp of the roster.

He’ll probably punch someone before he leaves that org

You actually raise amazing points. This was exactly the kind of discussion I was looking to have.

1st answer
Yeah locking someone out of ranked is definitely on the more extreme side (this is why I called it “ideal but not feasible”). There’s no world where riot realistically implements it realistically, even if your point (being broke) was not an issue. By locking people out of comp games, they effectively strict many people who fall in the “no comm but only ranked” bracket. And ranked ban = less playtime or quitting = lower skin sales = GG to this solutions. Would I want only commers in my games with no commers out? Definitely, no questions. Will I get it in my games? Unfortunately probably never.

2nd
My thinking was around more with penalise the serial no commers - who never comm in any games consistently. False report can definitely be abused at times. But if this person is reported consistently but players in say 10 back to back games, then it’s probably a recurring issue that needs to be investigated rather than a single specific game scenario which someone got mad about.

3rd
That’s a great point you raise here, especially in higher elo. Still, having that option should be a thing that’s available to people. People in low elo or mid elo (like diamond) could still benefit from that option who want it and can wait 3-5 mins instead of say 1 min which would normally take for games to pop.

Probably a solution like #3 works best in cases like these where he’ll just be placed in games with other no commers without getting penalised for a disability (which would not be fair).

You do have unrated or other game modes available to play still. But as an actual solution, probably #3 works best in you case where you’ll just be placed in games with other no commers (just perma silent games), which works out for everyone.

If you bought a mic with no headset unknowingly with the rest of the money you saved up FUCK YOU!! not allowed to play ranked anymore until you get a mic!! (bad idea)

This feels like it’s a very specific, situational issue to where it doesn’t apply to the majority of the people playing the game and is temporary at best. Most no commers you run into do have mic enabled but refuse to communicate in game.

Same problem as the first with bad rr instead of being comp banned. Also you can get around that with soundboards (bad Idea)

This is the problem I stated towards the end when it comes to implementation to where it’s hard to regulate things like quality of comms. But this can be a reportable feature at minimum, which should penalise or put the player with other no commers if proven.

So we're just gonna have...0 games for 3 hours beyond diamond? Theres almost never a full team with mics beyond gold- ( Slightly Better but still bad idea)

I agree, which is why I suggested it last. My thinking was to have an option (like a box you can tick off), which makes you wait longer but only places you in lobbies with comms. If you don’t want to wait, you can still normally queue up but run the risk of running into no commers (basically how it is right now).

Probably solutions #2 and #3 work better in that case. Just penalise RR gains (the best alternative imo) or put them in a lobby with other no comms only. If they care about their elo at all, they’ll realise that buying a mic is probably just better and way easier to do than avoiding it.

Basically FNS’s take on it. Valorant is a competitive game that requires communication and coordination. Even a few teammates not comming puts the team at a clear disadvantage against a team we’re most or all members are comming. It simply sucks to play with such teammates, especially in perma silent games.

Potential solutions I’ve thought of

1. Let no commers play unrated or other game modes, just not competitive (the ideal solution, but less feasible)

   • This way they get to still play the game (even the long format) without trolling people’s ranked games.

2. Penalise no comm games through RR gains/losses

   • No comm wins give you 10-25% lower RR gains and losses make you lose more

3. Have an option to get place only in teams with all people comming

   • Would probably mean longer wait times, but some people would be willing to make that trade-off
   • No commers more likely (or strictly) to be placed in matched with other no commers

These are some solutions I have thought of to solve the no comm epidemic that is plaguing valorant ranked system. There could still be some problems when it comes to implementation (like people could have mic enable but no comm or be toxic on purpose), but issues like this can be worked on and solved. But necessary steps need to be taken to improved the player experience faceless the board.

Let me know what your thoughts are on this. Other ideas are always welcome!

You’re basically at a stage where you’ve got a very basic understanding of the game but still have a lot to learn. My best advice would be to always think really carefully after every move and actually have a plan before making it (I know it sounds simple, but you’ll be surprised how many mistakes are made at <1000 elo). Reviewing games is another way to recognise your blunders and fix them.
Stop playing blitz or bullet completely and only focus on rapid (10 min games at least) since blitz does not improve you gameplay and only makes it worse because up you have to play quick. Learn 1-2 solid and simple openings for white and black to start off more solidly. I’d highly recommend checking GothamChess out on YouTube, since he’s got great content for beginners and is very engaging to watch too.
Lastly, like Valorant, the more games you play the better you’ll get (there’s no way around it). So try to play a couple games minimum everyday if the time allows. Consistent growth is the best way to trust me.

Only KR teams left in the lowers which should get really interesting now

Coulda woulda shoulda

We all know who it’s going to be

LMFAOAMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOASMOASMOASOMSDAMODDSMOAS

From the thieves. 100Thieves = 100 missed internationals LOL

This is why I loved the kickoff format. Every game mattered and made a difference right till the very end

CN over EMEA is very interesting. I suppose EMEA is too top heavy compared to other regions, with only few teams dominating as contenders. I haven't watched much of China tbf (but really like Vo0kashu as a cypher main), but hope they're competitive in London.

How would you rank all 4 regions head-to-head? Do you think teams like PRX, NRG or G2 not making to London hurts the regions' dominance, or do you still have faith in the newer teams (GE, FS, maybe LEV, KRU, etc if they make it) to remain competitive internationally against other top teams (like FNC)?

Mb for doubting you, G! 100T deserved it today! Now it’ll make the NRG vs SEN game that much more interesting due to elim. Get ready for a bloodbath on the final game!

Y’all better win against FUR today or you’re out

Hahahahahahahah 🤣🤣🤣

Hop on the KRU train

Do players like F4ngeer and Vo0kashu speak Chinese fluently? Even if they partly speak it, I'd imagine the language barrier might make it harder to communicate at times, like mid round strats or pivots

We're still living in 2022 bruh 😭

Now what I expected but a big W for the boys! Excited to see them at Santiago!

NRG

Generally a lot of issues with players in gold boils down to mechanics, so definitely try and improve it further (bursting/tapping, movement, crosshair placement, etc). You have been shooting well, but there’s definitely more improvements to be made (just stick to a good routine for 5-10 mins, DM at least once before starting any of your games and in-between games when you need it).

Chamber has been working insanely well for you, so I’ll try leaning more into him even on maps that you don’t normally do. I’ll also suggest trying to limit to and master just one agent class (max two if you want), since it is so much better to than playing everything and not being good at anything. I main cypher during my rank up to diamond and still do (he’s good for early info + fast rotation to other sites, especially in lower lobbies where it is not broken early). I saw you can try to abuse the op/outlaw more, since it is quite broken in these lobbies, and don’t shy away from shotguns on some rounds (just try to play smarter).

Lastly, try and lurk/flank a lot more, since people in gold aren’t nearly as aware, so it’s usually free kills if you get the timings (I love doing this on cypher; you might initially get punished, but will slowly learn to recognise when to do it and when not to; a great advice if you really wanna improve, is to watch pro vods and learn how pro players are playing your agent - just YouTube “Demon1 chamber pearl vod” for example ad watch through and try to copy his setups - where is he starting, how is he approaching certain scenarios, when is he oping/lurking/pushing, etc; you’ll learn so much just from it; Woohoojin is also a great channel which you can refer to learn, although he no longer makes videos)

Imo, the single BEST improvement you can make from your very next game would be to comm a lot more, right from the agent select - just getting people to talk on the mic, better plan agents, set the initial vibes, and then in game just try to get the teammates involved, always give call-outs on who you see, what economy/ults enemies have, igl what you want the team to do next, etc. This is so broken, since I just don’t see it happen a lot in lower lobbies, where they just don’t say anything, keep doing the same things, rushing sites, dying and just logins the game. Some games are bound to be unwinnable, but you’ll be surprised how many more games you’ll win if you just start communicating more and getting you team to work with you. Just try to well fundamentally (even just basic stuff like defaulting, pressuring somewhere like mid but ending A or B, etc). I know people usually give him a lot of heat, but one streamer who I would recommend is Dasnerth (he used to cypher shotgun but now goes neon only). He’s just igls and comms a lot during his games, and it improved my own gameplay just by watching and learning (even others like s0m and subroza are good to watch).

Finally, getting a solid duo (ideally one who is already in high gold/plat, who plays well) is important. There is a time to play for vibes with lower ranked friends, but for that you either play unrated or on an ult account. Don’t lose unnecessary elo on your main by stacking with lower rated/worse players (like “Radiant”, who is in bronze 1). You’ll be placed in worse lobbies and also gain less RR on wins.

And that’s basically all the advice I have for you games - test chamber more, improve mechanics, comm more (v imp!), op and lurk more, watch pro vods and learn setups/comms/playstyle, find a good duo, and try to play smarter overall. And also, watch more VCT (which I image you already probably do). Let me know if you have any questions, as I’m happy to help.