- Team Liquid’s ScreaM thinks NA teams are not as good as APAC and EMEA squads
- Fnatic’s Derke, however, says that all regions’ teams are more or less equal in skill
- His opinion is echoed by OpTic’s coach Chet “Chet” Singh
The biggest VALORANT event of the year is coming closer and several big pros have talked about North America’s chances compared to other regions.
ScreaM’s Opinion on NA Teams
The 2022 VALORANT Champions Tour: Stage 1 Masters is less than two months away and will see the best teams from across the globe compete in the biggest event of the competitive year. As the event is coming closer, Riot is organizing several pre-event press conferences. One of these featured Team Liquid’s Adil “ScreaM” Benrlitom, who had some interesting opinions on North American teams’ chances at the VCT.
According to the Belgian player, teams from the APAC and EMEA are better than the North American ones. He said that the region has good teams, giving OpTic as an example. He also stated that 100 Thieves have “some very good individuals” and that “they could pop off”, but eventually concluded that none of the NA teams are as good as those found in APAC and EMEA.
Not Everyone Shares ScreaM’s Opinion
In an interview for Dot Esports, Fnatic’s Nikita “Derke” Sirmitev said that all regions are “on the same level” and “NA is a strong region with really high skilled individuals.” He explained that many North American teams have performed with consistently good results during the season.
Good evidence of this can be seen in OpTic, whom ScreaM also gave as a positive example in his interview. OpTic, which won the VCT Stage One Masters Reykjavík in April, has arguably been the most consistent in the region. This is complemented by a top-three finish at the most recent international event, the VCT Stage Two Masters in Copenhagen.
Speaking of OpTic, their coach, Chet Singh, also spoke with Dot Esports and explained that all regions seem to be more or less at the same level, with EMEA teams being slightly ahead. He also said that fans might be surprised by APAC teams due to their unique playstyle.
At the end of the day, these opinions are only that, even if they come from people with experience in the field. The teams will have a chance to prove themselves with the start of the playoffs on September 18, which will be held in front of a live audience, as Riot Games confirmed.
