val esports

Five underrated teams to watch in VCT 2024

By William Davis

|

Dec 20, 2023

Reading time: 4 min

Valorant’s growth worldwide shows no signs of slowing down, and that much is clear with the announcement of a new VCT for 2024. Riot’s fourth champions tour will feature new leagues, international events, and experiences to make bigger and more engaging shows. And, of course, with a new year of high-stakes competition comes the chance to find a valuable underdog.

The game’s combination of precision gunplay, strategic abilities, and team coordination allows players to showcase their tactical and practical skills during intense matches, adding to an exciting market.

Evil Geniuses

Fresh off a win from 2023 against Paper Rex, the Evil Geniuses barely came out ahead as the crowned champions of the season. However, the organization is clearly looking to shake things up as most of the reserve team (Brendan “BcJ” Jensen, Jeffrey “Reformed” Lu, Vincent “Apotheon” Le, Jacob “icy” Lange, and Addison “zecK” Gorzec) was recently let go, an announcement which was made in a social media video. 

So far, the Evil Geniuses have not announced their full roster for the 2024 tour, but it’s expected that the starting team will remain in the top spot, making them crucial to watch during the year.

Sentinels

The Sentinels were the first-ever team to win the official Riot Games Valorant Champions Tour in Reykjavik back in May 2021 after having signed former Overwatch, Apex Legends, and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive competitors. An experienced and aggressive team, the Sentinels had an explosive start but then seemed to fall off the map for a while. 

But all that seems to be a thing of the past; the Sentinels are gearing up to become a secret Valorant weapon in 2024 thanks to a roster change. The team recently signed Mouhamed “johnqt” Ouarid as the new in-game leader, creating much more flexibility to bring to the table. 

Karmine Corp

The French organization has been competing in Valorant since 2021, and it looks like this team is also due for a major shake-up. Reports indicate that Karmine Corp is looking to rebuild its roster following a rather tumultuous 2023 season – diehard fans won’t forget the slow start or Karmine Corp’s coach subbing in as a player – and although no concrete information has been revealed yet, hopes are high. 

Previously, Karmine Corp seemed to be placing all bets on superstar brothers ScreaM and Nivera, but the organisation is now doing a 180 and placing them both on the market. Coaching changes are also on the horizon; currently, TSM’s Andrey “Engh” Sholokhov and M80’s Vincent “Happy” Schopenhaur are both in consideration for the job. 

Team Liquid

It may be unusual to think of Team Liquid as an underrated organisation in a competitive gaming market, but its recent record speaks for itself; in the last year, the team had a rather disappointing run and also plan to shake up the roster to change the course of its luck. 

Two familiar faces continue to play a feature role in the new Team Liquid roster (Elias “Jamppi” Olkkonen and Ayaz “nAts” Akhmetshin) whilst a few new players will join them (Georgio “Keiko” Sanassy, James “Mistic” Orfila, and Enzo “Enzo” Mestari). The combination of veterans and up-and-coming stars aims to find its glory in the coming year.

Team Secret

Contrary to its name, Team Secret’s roster is no mystery; the 2024 roster includes Jeremy “Jremy” Cabrera, Jessie “JessieVash” Cuyco, Noel “NDG” De Guia, Jim “BORKUM” Timbreza, and Adrian “invy” Jiggs Reyes. 

However, there is little additional information known about what Team Secret will bring to 2024 or how it will perform, which may make them the most underrated team of the entire championship tour. As such, they’re definitely worth keeping in mind.

Notable Valorant Free Agents 

Several players and coaches have stepped down, desiring free agency or otherwise let go from their organization. In no particular order, the following free agents ought to be watched as rosters continue to change: 

  • Nathan “leaf” Orf
  • Chris “Elmapuddy” Tebbit
  • Jacob “mini” Harris
  • Derrek “Derrek” Ha
  • Sam “s0m” Oh
  • Brenden “stellar” McGrath

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About Valorant Champions Tour 2024

Announced on August 23rd, 2023 via YouTube video, Riot’s fourth official champions tournament will feature numerous events. Compared to 2023, VCT 2024’s competitive format seems much bigger; fresh teams will start from the beginning of the circuit, taking place in three parts (Premier, Challengers, International) throughout 2024, and ultimately offering two chances of promotion to the next stage. 
Details are still coming, but for now the general roadmap and much of the roster are known.

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