Valorant: Top 10 most popular pro teams in the world

With the Valorant Champions 2022 group stage going on in full flow, we already have the top 4 teams making it into the play-offs from the Group Stage. Fans are getting hyped about their favourite teams like Paper Rex or Optic Gaming and have witnessed some fantastic plays from underrated teams like Leviatán in the tournament. With the biggest tournament in Valorant taking place, it is time to check out our top 10 most popular Valorant pro teams in 2022.

The second season of Valorant Champions Tour has witnessed the rise of many underdogs and the fall of many kings. Riot Games is hosting this edition of the Championship in Istanbul. Teams from seven regions have fought their way to the biggest stage of the game. Today, we prepare a ranking of the top 10 popular pro teams in the world according to their popularity and performance.

List of most popular Valorant pro esports teams

10. ZETA DIVISION

Hailing from Japan, ZETA DIVISION is undoubtedly the most popular and successful team in their region. They were the champions of VCT 2022: Japan Stage 1 Challengers. Their best run of the year was achieving third place in VCT 2022: Stage 1 Masters Reykjavik, where they upset a number of popular teams like Team Liquid and Paper Rex. Even though, the team couldn’t qualify for Masters Copenhagen, they will still be playing in Valorant Champions Istanbul, all thanks to their circuit points.

9. Sentinels

The most popular team from last year, Sentinels, were pushed down in the ranking, due to their terrible run in VCT 2022. The champions of VCT 2021: Stage 2 Masters Reykjavik failed to qualify for both Masters Reykjavik and Copenhagen this year. They were undoubtedly the most hyped team coming into the North America Last Chance Qualifiers with significant additions of ‘Shroud‘ and ‘Zellsis‘ to the roster. It was the first time that Shroud was making his comeback in Esports in 4 years, and who not to play with, but Tyson “TenZ” Ngo from Sentinels, who is regarded the best Valorant player in the world. But, Sentinels could not live up to the expectations, as 100 Thieves knocked them out of the tournament.

8. The Guard

The Guard is one of the underdogs who shocked the whole world with their performance in the second season of VCT. Coming into the VCT 2022: NA Stage 1 Challengers, very few people would have predicted The Guard to win the event. They had an incredible run in that tournament and eventually won the whole tournament after defeating OpTic Gaming in the finals. Trent, one of the best initiators of the regions, represents ‘The Guard’ in Valorant, and is one of the names who has delivered consistently in Valorant tournaments. Despite, not making it into Valorant Champions 2022, and being defeated by 100 Thieves in the LCQ final, The Guard is a team which people should not lightly in the upcoming season.

7. 100 Thieves

After failing to perform in Stage 1, 100 Thieves released all their players from the roster except ‘Asuna.’ They started VCT 2022 Stage 2 with a new roster of young and upcoming talents. The team was always in the spotlight of their region, since then. Despite their promising performance in Stage 2 Challengers, they took an early exit from the Play-offs stage. Eventually, they pulled a comeback and managed to qualify for the Champions in Istanbul, after winning the NA LCQ in a dominating fashion, beating The Guard 3-0 in the finals.

6. M3C

M3C, formerly known as Gambit were the superpowers from EMEA in VCT 2021. They were the champions of VCT 2021: Stage 3 Masters Berlin and the Runners-up of Valorant Champions 2021. With their best form, the team was expected to achieve more in VCT 2022. However, the results were not as their fans wanted them to be, as the team failed to qualify for any LAN event in VCT 2022. With the recent news of ‘nAts’ leaving the roster, the future of the team is still unclear.

5. FunPlus Phoenix

Coming into the VCT 2022, FPX showed what they could achieve. The team started its campaign by winning the EMEA Stage 1 Challengers. Even after qualifying for the Stage 1 Masters in Reykjavik, they couldn’t participate in the event due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. FPX was yet to perform on the main stage, and the fans were waiting to watch the team play on a stage like Stage 2 Masters Copenhagen. The team didn’t disappoint as they became the champions of the tournament.

4. Fnatic

Fnatic has been one of the crowd’s favorite teams since the start of the Valorant Champions Tour. The team also has the most loved IGL in the world, ‘Boaster.’ They went through ups and downs this season but still managed to qualify for both Masters Reykjavik and Masters Copenhagen and consequently Champions Istanbul. The runners-up of the first-ever Valorant LAN VCT 2021: Stage 2 Masters Reykjavik are yet to win a title in the LAN events. The fans are still waiting to watch the team lift a trophy as the champions.

3. LOUD

LOUD is the fan-favorite team from the Brazil region. With heavy gun power and big names like ‘Saadhak’ and ‘Sacy,’ LOUD entered the Valorant scene in February 2022. The team lived up to the hype and immediately started performing and won both VCT 2022: Brazil Challengers Stage 1 and Stage 2. Their most extensive run this year was in the Stage 1 Masters Reykjavik when they achieved second place after losing to OpTic Gaming in the finals.

2. Paper Rex

Paper Rex experienced the most remarkable rise in popularity through their performance throughout the VCT 2022. The dark horse from the APAC region shocked everyone with their extraordinary performance, finishing fourth in VCT 2022: Stage 1 Masters Reykjavik and second place in Stage 2 Masters Copenhagen. The team gathered much support and attention through their tactical and aggressive play style against the top teams in the Valorant events.

1. OpTic Gaming

As expected, the most popular pro team in Valorant is none other than OpTic Gaming (formerly known as Team Envy). The team led by Pujan ‘FNS’ Mehta and powered by the El Diablo ‘yay’ himself is the most popular and successful team of this year’s VCT. The team lifted the trophy as the champions in Stage 1 Masters Reykjavik and finished third in Stage 2 Masters Copenhagen. They were the runners-up in the NA Challengers Stage 1 and Stage 2.

Which team are you rooting for in the Valorant Champions 2022? Do let us know in the comments!

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