VCT Americas League preview: schedule, format, and teams

Here are all the details you need to know about the VCT Americas League, including the schedule, format, teams, and our top picks for the competition.

Today marks the beginning of the VCT Americas, where the best teams from North America, Latin America, and Brazil compete over the next few weeks for regional dominance.

In addition, the top three teams from the event will qualify for the much anticipated VCT Masters Tokyo and VCT Champions 2023. The first two days will include two intense contests between KRÜ and FURIA and 100 Thieves and Sentinels.

Schedule: 

• VCT Americas League Regular Season: April 1 to May 20
• VCT Americas League Playoffs: May 23 – May 28
• Last Chance Qualifier: July 15 – July 23

Format:

Today marks the start of the VCT 2023 Americas League’s official season.  All ten teams will compete against one another in a single round-robin format, with each game being played as a best-of-three. During the regular season, double match days are arranged for Saturdays and Sundays, while single match days are planned for Mondays.

The top six teams from the regular season will advance to the playoffs, which will run from May 23 to May 28 on a competitive double-elimination bracket with a lower and upper bracket.

The playoffs match will be best-of-three except for the lower bracket finals and grand finals, which will be best-of-five affairs. The top three teams from the VCT 2023 Americas League will earn spots in the July VCT Masters Tokyo and the December VCT Champions tournaments.

Participating teams:

• 100 Thieves
• Cloud9
• Evil Geniuses
• Furia
• KRU Esports
• LOUD
• MIBR
• NRG
• Sentinels
• Leviàtan

Top teams entering into the VCT Americas:

Leviàtan

The Argentinian team performed well in 2022, finishing 5th-6th at 2022 Masters Copenhagen and 7th-8th at Valoront Champions 2022. Leviatán had a strong start in the LOCK//in as well thanks to a new roster that featured Angelo “keznit” Mori and Roberto “Mazino” Bugueo, two KRÜ Esports stars that dominated the domestic league in 2022.

The Argentinian team approached the competition in Sào Paulo with the same ferocity and aggression, crushing the Japanese team Zeta Division in the first game. A brilliant 52-kill performance from Leviatan star Fabian “Shyy” Usnayo kept the team on the winning streak as they secured a clean 2-0 sweep over Team Vitality. However, NAVI quickly put an end to their campaign in the quarterfinals after denying them the win and securing the semifinal spot for themselves.

Sentinels

Sentinels are arguably the most popular side in the Americas league since they are the only team in the league with players from both North America and Brazil. Given that Tyson “TenZ” Ngo is a star player with a lot to offer, his extended contract with the North American team will keep the squad motivated.

At the same time, the team signed Bryan “pANcada” Luna and Gustavo “sacy” Rossi, two Brazilian superstars who last year won the Champions with LOUD. Moreover, the Sentinels added Zachary “zekken” Patrone, Rory “dephh” Jackson, and coach Don “Syyko” Muir. These individuals assisted XSET in becoming one of the best North American teams the previous season.

LOUD

Next up on the list is the reigning world champion LOUD. Although the team lost some key players from its world champion roster, they appeared strong as ever at São Paulo, beating every team faced en route to the championship match against Fnatic. The Brazilian team first took down Gen G Esports and Karmine Corp in a clean 2-0 fashion, before overcoming the North American favorites NRG in a close best-of-three quarter-final.

Their battle against the Korean team DRX was a tough one, tough, but the Brazilian team managed to reach the grand finals with a 3-2 victory after securing the last map of the series. Although LOUD dropped the final battle against Fnatic by a close margin and fell just short of becoming the first team to win back-to-back trophies, they are still considered the best Valorant team in the world by many, as evidenced by their consistent performance.

NRG Esports 

NRG Esports was one of the top teams to enter the VCT Americas thanks to the high-profile addition during the offseason. Pujan “FNS” Mehta, Victor “Victor” Wong, Austin “crashies” Roberts, and coach Chet “Chet” Singh , who all were added to the squad from the OpTic Gaming lineup that dominated the VCT 2022 season. The squad also signed 2022 Masters Copenhagen champion Ardis “ardiis” Svarenieks to complete the roster. 

They appeared phenomenal in their opening game at Sá0 Paulo, where they thrashed KOI on Icebox and Haven to kick off their campaign. Similar outcomes were seen when they faced Giants in the second round. After dropping the first map, the North American team rallied and secured the subsequent two rounds without resistance.

NRG’s happiness was short-lived though as they faltered against the Brazillian team LOUD in the subsequent match. Nevertheless, they have managed to deliver enough proof of their capabilities through their unmatched gameplay in the two series at Sáo Paulo.

Header: Riot Games