Three days before the start of
VALORANT Champions, tensions are rising ahead of the final VCT competition of the season. The best players in the world are gearing up to compete for the most prestigious title. Despite the absence of some of the scene's biggest names, many of the season's top performers will still be facing off at the competition.
Before diving into the event, Sheep Esports presents its All-Pro Team featuring the world's best players at the moment. For editorial reasons, we have chosen to select one player per team while respecting their primary role throughout the season.
Lee "Dambi" Hyuk-kyu (Nongshim RedForce, VCT Pacific)
The winner and Finals MVP of Masters Santiago at the start of the year, Nongshim RedForce's Duelist confirmed throughout the season that he is one of the world's best Neon players. Despite missing Masters London and losing the Stage 2 final to Global Esports, NS still arrives as one of the favorites thanks to a well-drilled team built around Dambi. During the Stage 2 playoffs, he posted the highest average ACS in the league (234) among players who competed in at least 100 rounds, behind only Kim "t3xture" Na-ra.
Marshall "N4RRATE" Massey (Karmine Corp, VCT EMEA)
Karmine Corp's recent Stage 2 winner enters the competition at the peak of his form. After a disappointing first experience with Sentinels last season, N4RRATE returns with something to prove within a team that will demand a lot from him. The American has stood out in recent months, particularly on Chamber, an agent on which he has established himself as one of, if not the best player in the world. He made the difference numerous times throughout the playoffs, particularly through the First Bloods he secured, making him a genuine threat in every round.
Sean "bang" Bezerra (100 Thieves, VCT Americas)
Thanks to his consistency and reliability, 100 Thieves' Controller has been one of the best players at his position since his team's resurgence. Despite competition from emerging players such as Roberto "erde" Lobos, bang has continued to produce decisive moments in recent months and played an important role in his team's Esports World Cup victory and Stage 2 final win, notably posting a 2.75 First Kill/First Death ratio during the most recent playoffs. Like N4RRATE, he will be looking to improve on his last Champions appearance with Sentinels.
Ayaz "nAts" Akhmetshin (Team Liquid, VCT EMEA)
Team Liquid's captain remains one of the best Sentinels and one of the best In-Game Leaders in the world. A Stage 2 finalist, nAts delivered a captain's performance throughout the playoffs to qualify his team for Champions, showing that his statistical output and clutch ability remain just as important to the team. Although the team was not drawn into an easy group, TL can at least rely on the performances of its captain as they look to finally return to the competition's playoffs.
Brock "brawk" Somerhalder (NRG, VCT Americas)
Capable of producing individual performances at an extremely high level, brawk remains one of the players with the strongest statistical output in Stage 2. One of, if not the best Sova players in the world, he has stood out through his remarkable consistency, posting the highest rating of Stage 2 (1.21), tied with erde and Trent "trent" Cairns. The Finals MVP of the most recent Champions won by his team, he enters the competition with a familiar status, and there is little doubt that he will cause plenty of damage with his Odin.
Honorable mentions
Despite his exceptional level, Peter "Asuna" Mazuryk does not make our team following a debate with N4RRATE in which we ultimately chose to highlight bang's strengths while still retaining an excellent player in Asuna's role. LOUD players erde and Lucca "lukxo" Travaioli also miss out despite their significant improvement in recent weeks. Several Duelists could have also made a case for a spot, including Zheng "ZmjjKK" Yongkang and Ilia "something" Petrov, who have both delivered strong performances this year but were slightly less in form during Stage 2.
