He is only 16yrs and this is his first time pro playing. It's too early.

Derialy

Banger match.
NIIIIIIIIIIIICE comeback SZ I believe yours.

NO.Yoshiii lives in JP, so he can attend as JP slot.
I don't know whether he is JP/PH half.

Kr1stal. sub IGL TORANECO

KR bad production
WCG invites 6 teams, but only 2 teams that made it through OQ won three in a row.
Some team that lost in OQ should complain about it.

That's what I thought. But they have already exceeded my expectations.

Why NTH can build solid team every year???
TenTen and Maufin are rookie, but they are so good.

Nice comeback SZ again
Win first map in next match please

Schedule changed. This is match 4. SZ vs RC will be match 2.

He is Philippines but can attend as JP roster slot cause he lives in Japan.
https://twitter.com/SCARZ5/status/1613503230830575616?t=s-pJuMXPXYUtVe_S392h1A&s=19

Nice comeback SZ
I believe yours

18yrs. one of JP HOPE

VCT Challengers Japan will Start tomorrow.
I'm not good at English, but I did my best to write this post.
Enjoy VCJ Split1!

Great teaser：youtube

VCJ introduction and personal power ranking

1.Crazy Raccoon
neth(JP),Meiy(JP),popogachi(JP),Medusa(KR),makiba(JP)

Best bet for the title. CR got 2 players,Medusa returned and makiba from ZETA DIVISION.Astell became head coach.
The new roster was not good in ESL tournament. But after that they changed IGL from neth to Medusa.He is fluent in japanese,so there is no communication issues.
You know,neth and Medusa are consistent flex player, Meiy is great AWP, popogachi is sova specialist. makiba is returning after a year away, his performance is a concern.
While VLR.gg forum doesn't give CR much credit, but CR has never lost to any JP team other than ZETA and NTH. Without a doubt, CR is the favorite to win.

2.SCARZ
zennakukin(JP),TORANECO(JP),Kr1stal(RU),Jemkin(RU),Yoshiii(PH/JP)

My favorite team. SZ got former BLUE BEES roster. Last year,despite an inexperienced team, they had close game againt CR and ZETA.
Unfortunately Xdll transferred to FL, their new member Yoshiii is performing well. New SZ won against DK last month. Recently Jemkin's performance is overwhelming. Maybe he is the best player in this league.
Their commuinication language is English,TORANECO can speak but Zennakukin not good So their voice comms are chaos. Once they improve their communication and Kr1stal becomes a consistent player, I believe SZ will win Split 1.

3.FENNEL
CLZ(JP),JoXJo(KR),Xdll(JP),SyouTa(JP),hiroronn(JP)

Solid IGL and 4 JP prospects. Average age is 19.8. Head Coach Johnta(ex-FPX,TH) and Coach Euler(The hat man from FL GC).
JoXJo proved himself last year at NTH. He is IGL and he can speak Japanese, so there is no communication error.
Xdll(17yrs), last year's VCT was his first attending. He did well and has been called Japan's most promising young player.
SyouTa(20yrs) is very aggressive Controller player, many pro players appreciate his AIM.
hiroron(17yrs) is from ZETA Academy. 2 years ago he was reyna specialist, but he did IGL and initiater last year.
I think this team depends on CLZ(20yrs). He was inconsistent last year, but FL kept him. The key will be whether he can be consistent duelist.

4.Sengoku Gaming
misaya(JP),something(RU),Vici(RU),nobita(JP),Fisker(JP)

Too aggressive team. They use 2 duelist comp on all map.
Their playstyle is so simple. something,Vici,Fisker (already returned 💀) destroy enemies. In OQ, smth recorded average ACS of 319.8.
But after main event, AIM diff alone is not enough to win. I know he is cracked player, but his team's highest achievement is top 8 in JP VCT.
They have communication problem and I have concern about Vici as a controller. If they can't work together well enough, there is no chance of winning this league.

5.Crest Gaming Zst
kobra(KR),marin(JP),GON(JP),MrTenzouEz(JP),Hate(KR)

Dark horse team. The members did not achieve results as a team last year, but did well as individuals.
kobra carried CGZ last year, Tenzou(18yrs) is appreciated for his talent, Hate showed solid performance in ESL tournament.
This team depends on the performance of Marin and GON. Marin used to be a duelist, but this time he changes roles to Sentinel. GON has not been on the competition scene for two years, but has a high professional reputation when it comes to AIM. If two players do their job, they will be able to place well.

6.REJECT
Flax(JP),Allen(JP),ЯIA(JP),Skyfull(JP),BRIAN(JP)

Only one All JP team.
RC replaced all members.New players didn’t outstand last year, only one made it through Stage1 OQ. But their head coach KeNNy (JP FPS legend) believe their skills.
They feature a unique composition. 2 controller + chamber on Ascent. Astra,Omen+Yoru on Icebox. Sadly there was no OQ stream, I’m looking forward to watching their play.
If RC is hiding some interesting strategies in other maps, they might be able to get into a better position.

7.NORTHEPTION
BlackWiz(JP),Derialy(JP),TenTen(KR),Moothie(KR),Maufin(JP)

NTH lost core members again. Meteor,bail to Gen.G,xnfri to DFM, JoXJo to FL.
While BlackWiz and Derialy remained, this team struggled to find new members. Meteor's brother TenTen and veteran player Moothie joined 2 months ago, but applications for the last one reopened on 12/15.
Finally,they picked up Maufin, JP top class Fortnite Player.
TenTen and Maufin is literaly new player to pro valorant scene. They have enough potential, but as expected, their preparation time is too short. This is probably why NTH mainly played Haven and Ascent in OQ. I think this league will be tough for them.

8.IGZIST
oitan(JP),RIPablo(JP),GangPin(KR),thiefy(JP),Norisen(JP)

IGZ finished third in Stage 1 last year, but failed to advance to the playoffs in Stage 2 after changing two players.
They kept four members on board, but Lakia transfered to DK. Instead, Norisen joined as IGL, which is a clear reduction in strength.
Oitan and RIPablo are solid players, so it will be a tough tournament if young members such as thiefy and GangPin do not develop their talents.