Top 20 Players at VALORANT Champions 2026

In less than 48 hours, the seventh edition of VALORANT’s most eagerly anticipated event of the season will get underway: Champions. Hosted in Shanghai, China, the tournament will bring together the four best teams from each of the four major regions. A total of 16 organizations and more than 80 players will therefore take the stage, all vying to succeed NRG — who will be in attendance to defend their crown.

For the occasion, Sheep Esports reached out to figures from across the scene (players, coaches, and casters) from all four regions to put together, alongside its editorial team, its Top 20 players attending Champions. More than ten figures from the ecosystem — none of whom are affiliated with any of the participating organizations — took part by submitting their own lists, awarding 20 points to their top player, 19 to their second, and so on, down to 1 point for the player ranked 20th.

The ranking unveiled today is therefore the sum of the votes cast by every member of the panel, with the full breakdown of the votes available at this link.

Paper Rex's Duelist tops the power ranking, having been voted in the top 20 by almost all our voters. As effective as ever and capable of becoming unstoppable on a map, while also being one of the most dangerous Operator players, something may have already lost two international event finals this season, but he will undoubtedly be a major threat throughout the competition.

Back to his best level since the Esports World Cup, Asuna and 100 Thieves have returned to the top of the competition thanks to their franchise player, who is in outstanding form in the Duelist role. Named Stage 2 Grand Finals MVP after his team's victory over LOUD, he appears more determined than ever to take on the challenge of the biggest international competition.

After winning VCT EMEA Stage 2 while returning to his best level with Karmine Corp, N4RRATE has transformed a team that had made a very poor start to the season. Decisive on numerous occasions, particularly on Chamber, he carries a significant part of the French team's hopes in their first Champions appearance.

A member of LOUD's VCT Americas roster since last year, lukxo truly broke out during Stage 2, reaching an impressive individual level. Like the players above him, he is capable of making a difference through individual plays. Despite his young age and lack of international experience, there is every reason to believe he could be a formidable player on the biggest stage.

Like his team, f0rsakeN struggled more during Stage 2, eventually suffering an early playoff exit. That is not enough to cast doubt on the talent of a player who this year became the first to play every agent in the game in a competitive match and was named VCT Pacific Player of the Year last season. A member of Paper Rex since 2021, he is also one of the most experienced players on the international stage.

LOUD's duo of lukxo and erde is one of the main reasons behind the Brazilian team's resurgence. The rookie has played a major role in that turnaround. Mostly playing Controller or Sage, he has combined strong game sense with remarkable individual performances, notably recording 98 kills in his team's defeat in the VCT Americas final in front of a fired-up Brazilian crowd.

The highest-ranked world champion in our ranking and the MVP of the 2024 edition. EDward Gaming and ZmjjKK's dominance was challenged much more this season than in previous years, despite the player winning the Stage 1 regular-season MVP award. He still maintains extremely high standards and very rarely disappoints, making him, as usual, a player to watch out for at Champions.

2026 has been the breakout year for Dambi and Nongshim RedForce. The player, recognized as the best Neon in the world and one of the best entry Duelists, started the season undefeated before winning Masters Santiago and being named the tournament's MVP. With his team seemingly back to its best level ahead of its first Champions appearance, Dambi could dominate the tournament through his individual talent.

As surprising as it may seem given his history with the team, nAts has never reached the Champions playoffs with Team Liquid. Yet he remains as talented as ever and is widely regarded as one of the best players in the EMEA region, coming off another strong season in which he reached Masters Santiago and the Stage 2 final. He appears to be in good enough form to compete internationally and finally take TL to the next level.

Last season's Grand Final MVP returns to Shanghai with his team to defend their title. The world's best Sova player can still be surgical when it matters most and is coming off another season marked by remarkable consistency and some impressive individual peaks. However, the team is still missing one more title, just as they were last year, and he will be looking to secure it and go back-to-back.

Like Asuna, Cryocells has returned in force this season, establishing himself as one of the best Sentinels in the world. He has delivered when it matters most, as demonstrated by his Esports World Cup MVP title, which helped set his team on its current trajectory. The American-Filipino will once again have to produce on the international stage for his first Champions appearance since 2022.

Paper Rex's Singaporean Duelist had a more difficult second half of the season than the rest of the year. Below his usual standards, he nevertheless remains at a high level, and it is difficult to imagine him failing to show up at Champions. Still widely regarded as the world's best Raze player, he makes the agent shine in a way few others can.

Dambi is not the only Nongshim Duelist to have performed at a high level recently. Francis has returned to form after Yoru was reintroduced into the team's compositions. The player had already impressed on the agent during Masters Santiago, when it was at the peak of its presence in the meta. Back in a meta that suits them perfectly and that few teams are capable of playing, Nongshim and Francis could cause plenty of problems at Champions.

Although he is not coming off one of his best seasons, Chronicle remains one of the players who have consistently shown up at international competitions. In fact, he has reached at least the playoffs at every international event he has attended. A finalist in 2021 and last year, he is still missing that final trophy from his résumé.

In his rookie season, the Turkish player impressed and immediately helped FUT Esports recover from their poor start to the year. One of the world's best entry Duelists with near-unmatched aim and the ability to produce spectacular individual plays, he could help FUT Esports reach the playoffs and potentially go even further. At Masters London, the team made it from the Play-Ins all the way to a fifth-sixth-place finish thanks in large part to strong performances from their young star.

The new face of VCT China is heading into his first Champions. A recent Stage 2 winner with TYLOO, where he was named Finals MVP, slowly was also awarded the 2026 Player of the Year title during the region's individual awards. Potentially capable of challenging ZmjjKK, he will have his first opportunity to prove it in Shanghai.

NRG's new addition has integrated seamlessly into the world champions' lineup and is shining just as he did with his previous team. While NRG have struggled more on the international stage, they made significant progress from the Esports World Cup onward, with keiko returning to his best level. Continuing in the same vein during Stage 2, he maintained his form throughout the playoffs but fell just short against LOUD and 100 Thieves.

One of Paper Rex's most consistent players throughout the season, d4v41 reached an extremely high level this year, particularly in international competitions at the Masters events. Like his teammates, his Stage 2 performances slightly tarnished what had otherwise been a strong season, but he is still capable of bouncing back at Champions. Last year, the Sentinel was one of the team's most consistent players at the event.

Team Vitality's rookie has already established himself as an indispensable part of a team made up of established VCT and even international players. Equally effective as a second Duelist or Initiator, he regularly showcases his mechanical ability in matches when he does not succumb to the pressure. He is one of the major young prospects for the coming years in VALORANT and will be playing at his first Champions.

The American remains one of the best players in the world despite his team's recent struggles both internationally and domestically. G2's Initiator is now the most consistent player on his team and delivers when it matters most. He also boasts the highest average rating in the Stage 2 playoffs (1.21), tied with brawk and erde.