The VCT Asia Pacific is back, folks! It’s a fresh season, with hungry rosters, legendary rivalries, and enough firepower to reshape the competitive Valorant landscape. The king is defending the throne, dark horses are ready to stampede, and a whole new level of play is about to be unleashed.
With all the big transfers going down lately, especially in Southeast Asia, a lot of folks are expecting some serious clash between the region and East Asia contenders. Plus, the new Outlaw meta is gonna be the talk of the town this season, with so many top-notch duelists in the mix. Buckle up, it’s gonna be wild!
The top dogs
- DRX (South Korea): A historically dominant team in the Asia Pacific region, known for their consistent performances and strategic gameplay. renowned for their highly structured and calculated approach to the game. Their ability to read situations, strategize on the fly, and execute game plans with precision should not be underestimated.
Before the new year began, the organization made a big switch, dropping Goo “Rb” Sang-min in favor of Cho “Flashback” Min-hyuk, the promising youngster. Considering how close they came to dominating the Pacific League last year, fans can anticipate the South Korean giant to go all out against their competitors.
- T1 (South Korea): The only team capable of challenging DRX in the South Korean region. Similar to its rival, T1 possesses high individual skill and can quickly put any team under pressure with a smart game plan. Even on a bad day, T1 could still pull off some surprises in a pinch situation.
After a string of disappointing results last year, the team underwent a significant squad change by replacing the trio of Byeon “Munchkin” Sang-beom, Joseph “ban” Seungmin Oh, and Kim “BeomJun” Beom-jun with Ham “iZu” Woo-joo, Daniel “Rossy” Abedrabbo, and Kevin “xccurate” Susanto.
The latter has been making waves in Southeast Asia, particularly in Singapore and Indonesia, with his ‘sibling rivalry’ backstory, which will pit him against his younger brother, who plays for Paper Rex. It promises to be an interesting duel of the season!
- Zeta Division (Japan): Zeta Division has consistently made deep runs in various VCT events within the APAC region, demonstrating that the squad could best any opponent when it truly commits to serious mode. Last year, the Japanese team surprised the APAC competition by defeating the favorite Team Secret to secure a spot in the VCT Champions Pacific: Last Chance qualifier.
In addition to the duo of Koji “Laz” Ushida and Yuma “Dep” Hashimoto, who are expected to lead the team in the competition, the team will be strengthened by the arrival of hyped youngsters Hiroki “Hiroron” Yanai and Yushin “Yuran” Hato. The combination of experience and explosiveness is anticipated to elevate the team to new heights.
- Paper Rex (Singapore): The king of APAC Valorant. Known for its trademark W-gaming: chaotic, fast-paced style, and a penchant for making unexpected plans to keep their opponents guessing. Just look at the crazy numbers these boys put up last year. Only an army of Evil Geniuses was able to stop these maniacs from clinching the championship title!
The organization commenced the 2024 season without key members such as Benedict “Benkai” Tan, Wang “Jinggg” Jie, and Patiphan “Cigarettes” Posri, the super sub. However, it has found a worthy replacement in the Indonesian youngster Cahya “Monyet” Nugroho. Teaming up with PRX’s combo of Ilya “something” Petrov and Aaron “mindfreak” Leonheart, the Singaporean presents a challenge to any team in the franchise league. One question remains: do they possess the consistency to go all the way this time?
The underdogs
- Rex Regum Qeon (Indonesia): Despite being regarded as a powerhouse esports organization in Indonesia, RRQ’s journey in Asia Pacific competition last year was a huge letdown. The team was eliminated early in the Pacific League and defeated by Zeta in the Pacific: Last Chance.
Reflecting on its disappointing season, the organization then announced a surprising move with the signing of Park “Estrella” Gun and Maksim “Jemkin” Batorov, who was rated highly in East Asia’s competitive scene, to replace Eroll “Ejay” Delfin and Emmanuel “Emman” Morales. This could be the season RRQ turns disappointment into glory.
- Bleed eSports (Singapore): Bleed eSports made their mark on the international stage by winning the Valorant Challengers Ascension 2023: Pacific tournament. The victory earned them a slot in the Pacific League, the top competitive tier in professional Valorant circuit.
“Their signing of renowned player Jaccob ‘yay’ Whiteaker significantly boosted their firepower and international experience. But don’t let this big signing fool you – these Bleed players are known for patiently observing their opponents and then flexibly employing counter-tactics, contrasting with the approach of their domestic rivals.
