5 Best Players of VCT 2023 EMEA Halfway Through the Event
| Tags: Valorant
| Author Najib R
Initiators are on top as only two of the top five current VCT 2023 EMEA players are in Duelist roles
We are halfway through the EMEA League of the ongoing Champions Tour, and this tournament already had some of the best talent showcasing this year. The LOCK//IN champions FNATIC are sitting on top of the EMEA standings, even though they missed their last match against KOI due to Covid-19 issues. And unsurprisingly, two players from FNATIC are on this list.
Let’s get into the best 5 players who provided a consistently outstanding performance midway through VCT 2023 EMEA!
Nikita “Derke” Sirmitev
- Maps Played: 9
- Rounds Played: 178
- Total kills: 183
- VLR Rating: 1.27
- Average Combat Score: 297.2
- Kill/Assist/Survived/Traded: 79%
- Average Damage Round: 189.2
- Kills Per Round: 1.03
It’s no shock that one of the best Duelists in the entire world is by far the best player in the EMEA League. The bald buff is real for Derke, who has been conquering this tournament on Jett and Raze. He is dominant while making space for his team quickly with Dashes, Updrafts, Satchels, and pure aggression. But you will be mistaken to think he’s not articulate with his plays, as he always waits for his teammates to set up fights before taking any duels, which is one of the factors that make him such a great duelist!
Unlike other Duelist players like aspas, you will rarely see Derke pick up an Operator while playing Jett, as he mostly runs around the maps with a Vandal. So far, this FNATIC player has been showcasing a consistently excellent performance throughout the VCT as he keeps clicking heads with his dot crosshair. We predict that he’ll remain one of the top three players by the end of this tournament.
Saif “Sayf” Jibraeel
- Maps Played: 15
- Rounds Played: 313
- Total kills: 305
- VLR Rating: 1.38
- Average Combat Score: 275.2
- Kill/Assist/Survived/Traded: 77%
- Average Damage Round: 169.9
- Kills Per Round: 0.97
The duelist for Team Liquid came over from Guild Esports at the end of last year to fill some big shoes, and he has outperformed expectations so far in this event. On the first victory of Liquid against FUT, Sayf picked up 77 kills in three maps, a staggering number and a great start for the 22 years old Swedish player.
Team Liquid is one of the three teams to put their Duelist on Neon for Lotus, and Sayf has happily taken charge of this agent to help his team make space around the newest map of Valorant. The star Duelist also shines on Jett and Raze, with skills to handle rifles as well as the Operator. Currently, Sayf holds the most kills in the tournament, with 305 frags and 1.56 K/D.
Kirill “Cloud” Nehozhin
- Maps Played: 14
- Rounds Played: 310
- Total kills: 258
- VLR Rating: 1.18
- Average Combat Score: 235.0
- Kill/Assist/Survived/Traded: 76%
- Average Damage Round: 152.2
- Kills Per Round: 0.83
The former flex player for NAVI is now wholly in charge of Initiator roles for Giants Gaming. He is now boasting his mechanically gifted skills by outperforming the Duelist of his team in most series. This Russian 19-year-old is sitting above some of the best Initiators like Chronicle as he continues to perform well for his team.
Cloud has been one of the only Intiators in this tournament to use Gekko in maps like Lotus and Pearl, and he mostly plays Sova and Skye in other maps. It’s clear that this talented young gun’s skills derive from his experience as a Duelist/Flex player on his last team. And with such great talent on the roster, Giants Gaming can make it to the Playoffs even though they were a Tier 2 squad not very long ago!
Timofey “Chronicle” Khromov
- Maps Played: 9
- Rounds Played: 178
- Total kills: 144
- VLR Rating: 1.22
- Average Combat Score: 217.7
- Kill/Assist/Survived/Traded: 83%
- Average Damage Round: 189.2
- Kills Per Round: 0.81
The former Gambit player and Masters Berlin winner has found a comfortable spot in FNATIC’s roster as the LOCK//IN champions didn’t let such great talent go by after the disbanding of M3C. Chronicle has been mostly playing Initiators in this event, except for Sage and Viper in some maps. With him and Derke on the roster, no wonder FNATIC are dominating every other team in VCT 2023 EMEA!
While Chronicle isn’t the primary Initiator for FNATIC, he does very well on flash characters while his teammate Leo gathers information on agents like Sova, Skye and Fade. Together, they pave the way for Derke and the rest of the team to make plays, and Chronicle himself doesn’t miss the chance of fragging out with currently 178 kills under his name, the same number as Derke!
Pontus “Zyppan” Eek
- Maps Played: 12
- Rounds Played: 279
- Total kills: 214
- VLR Rating: 11.19
- Average Combat Score: 217.5
- Kill/Assist/Survived/Traded: 77%
- Average Damage Round: 138.2
- Kills Per Round: 0.77
Zyppan is one of the most experienced players in VCT EMEA, with a long history of tournament matches under FPX. Without a doubt, NAVI has scored big by bringing this Masters Copenhagen winner to their roster, and it has been fruitful as they currently sit in the second spot of the standings with a 4-1 record so far.
While three of NAVI’s players dabble in Initiator roles in certain maps, Zyppan does not switch his agent pool as he is the primary Initiator for NAVI. While helping his team to move, initiate fights and gather information, he has also been picking up frags alongside the team’s star player cNed. With such playstyles, this Swedish player is one of the deadliest Initiators to face in the EMEA League.
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