Counting down to LOCK//IN: The Top Challengers at VCT LOCK//IN São Paulo 2023 Part 1
Starting 13th February, VCT LOCK//IN will kick off the three premier VCT Leagues. The LOCK//IN event in São Paulo, Brazil, will feature 30 partnered teams and 2 invited Chinese representatives for a total of 32 teams. It is the introductory tournament for the thirty partnered teams and previews what's to come. You can read about the VCT LOCK//IN Format, Teams, Fixtures, and Schedule here.
With nine days left for the live event to start, let’s continue counting down to the event with the attending teams’ introductions. Now we will begin listing the A-tiers, the great teams that just need the right timings to make it all click.
The American Colossus- Cloud9
Starting with the all-time superteam of North America, it’s the dream team Cloud9, that includes NA darling Jaccob “yay” Whiteaker, Twitch’s second favourite tank top wearer Jordan “Zellsis” Montemurro and feline eared IGL Anthony “vanity” Malaspina alongside cracked duo Erick “Xeppaa” Bach and Nathan “leaf” Orf. Cloud9 is poised as one of the strongest teams at the event on paper, however, their recent showing at the Red Bull event has suggested shakiness in the lineup for the current moment. This event is their true moment to debut well and the Valorant world watches breathlessly.
The Rising Stars- 100 Thieves
Who else but the young king-slayers squad of 100 Thieves would be next? Having proven their confidence in the offseason of minimal roster changes with their performance and win at Red Bull Home Ground #3, they are set for a deep run at the LOCK//IN event. This roster features the five-man star power of Peter “Asuna” Mazuryk, Derrek “Derrek” Ha, Brenden “stellar” McGrath, Matthew “Cryocells” Panganiban, and Sean “bang” Bezerra. 100 Thieves have the potential to make a deep run, and time will tell if they can maintain their momentum.
The Kings of Brazil- LOUD
Do you hear that? It’s the rumbling of a thousand Valorant fans. Brazil thunders as their kings once more enters the Valorant arena. What more fitting way for royalty to demonstrate their superiority than a deathmatch format, where the only thing that matter- is survival.
Since their Champions 2022 win, the roster has seen two replacements in Cauan “cauanzin” Pereira and Arthur “tuyz” Vieira. The rest of the roster remains the same: Erick “aspas” Santos, Felipe “Less” Basso, and Matias “saadhak” Delipetro.
The First Champions- Sentinels
Oh, woe the first champions, who rose so high and fell in equal measure. Sentinels has seen a complete overhaul, with a roster rebuilt around star player Tyson “TenZ” Ngo. Former-LOUD players Bryan “pANcada” Luna and Gustavo “Sacy” Rossi join him alongside former-XSET members Zachary “zekken” Patrone and Rory “dephh” Jackson. Their first event at the Ludwig x Tarik invitational has already shown more than glimmers of the talent and promise on that roster. Many fans are looking forward to a revisit to the former glory of Sentinels.
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Image credit: Valorant Esports/ Riot Games