VCT 2023 Americas LCQ Predictions- Favorites, Dark Horses, Early Exits

Dive into our VCT 2023 Americas LCQ predictions as we uncover the potential winner, dark horses, and early-exits

The wait is almost over. After a rather long break of 1.5 months, the most popular teams from west of the Atlantic will finally get back on the stage, and the stakes are higher than ever as this event marks the last chance for the remaining partnered American teams to qualify for the VCT 2023 Champions.

VCT 2023 Americas LCQ is set to start on July 15 and will feature a distinguished lineup of teams hailing from the Americas region, having missed out on a top-three finish in the recently finished Americas League. Some of the biggest teams, both in terms of popularity and accolades, such as Sentinels, Cloud9, and Leviatán, are among the participants who will battle it out for a spot in the 2023 VCT Champions.

With the Americas LCQ on the horizon, the atmosphere is abuzz with excitement. Before the event starts, here are our detailed predictions for each team.

Credit: Riot Games

VCT 2023 Americas LCQ Predictions- Winner

Here’s who we think will emerge victorious and secure a spot at the Champions event.

Cloud9

Dylan “runi” Cade
Erick “Xeppaa” Bach
Nathan “leaf” Orf
Jordan “Zellsis” Montemurro
Jake “jakee” Anderson

Predicting the winner of such a stacked event is always a tough task. Nevertheless, taking into account Cloud9's exceptional performance during the VCT Americas: League stage, they are clearly the safest bet. C9 had an incredible run, finishing joint first at the standings with a record of 7-1. However, in a shocking turn of events, the NA juggernauts were eliminated from the playoffs losing to their fellow NA teams.

Cloud9's strength lies in the exceptional adaptability displayed by each member of their roster. Any lingering doubts about Leaf's ability to step into the shoes of Yay quickly dissipated as the 20-year-old emerged as the 2nd highest-rated duelist in the Americas league, proving his worth beyond measure. jakee and runi, despite being new to the tier-1 scene, seamlessly integrated into the team dynamic. As for the Zellsis and Xeppaa, both are proving to be the best flex players in the region.

It is noteworthy that the only losses they suffered this season are against teams already qualified for the Champions and boast a 100% win rate against the six other participants in the upcoming event. Considering all these, C9 remains the front-runner to win the LCQ despite the early exit from the playoffs.

VCT 2023 Americas LCQ Predictions- Other Favorites

These are the other favorites to win the upcoming VCT 2023 Americas Last Chance Qualifer.

Leviatán

Francisco “kiNgg” Aravena
Vicente “Tacolilla” Compagnon
Fabian “Shyy” Usnayo
Agustin “Nozwerr” Ibarra
Roberto “Mazino” Bugueño

Putting Leviatán on the favorite list is a no-brainer. The Chilean Giants were on the top of their game at the start of the League. However, their performance waned towards the end, resulting in four consecutive losses that ultimately concluded their campaign. Nevertheless, considering the Leviatán roster's undeniable talent and impressive history, it would be remiss not to acknowledge them as a favorite.

100 Thieves

Peter “Asuna” Mazuryk
Derrek “Derrek” Hu
Brenden “stellar” McGrath
Sean “bang” Bezerra
Matthew “Cryocells” Panganiban

It's a shocker that 100 Thieves failed to secure qualification for the Playoffs after having it within their grasp. Their unexpected loss to a weakened MIBR squad, playing with their coach, marked the turning point that led to their elimination and triggered a series of events that propelled EG into a historic run. Despite the heartbreaking early elimination, the potential of their current lineup cannot be questioned.

There are few teams who can match the firepower 100T possesses. Young prodigies like Asuna, bang, and Cryocells have proven time and time again that they are some of the most mechanically gifted players in the region. With such an impressive roster led by Stellar, there is every reason to believe that 100 Thieves has the ability to secure yet another LCQ victory.

VCT 2023 Americas LCQ Predictions- The Dark Horses

Here are the dark horses with the potential for a deep run.

Sentinels

Tyson “TenZ” Ngo
Zachary “zekken” Patrone
Gustavo “Sacy” Rossi
Bryan “pANcada” Luna
Jimmy “Marved” Nguyen

It has been a while since we have seen Sentinels dominate the Valorant scene. The once-mighty NA team has fallen far from its prime, as evidenced by the repeated poor performances over the last two seasons. However, with the advent of the franchise league, considerable anticipation was generated among the Sen-city fans. The team introduced a revamped roster featuring a fusion of top-tier players from both the North American and Brazilian regions.

Despite the high hopes, the Men-in-Red fell flat in the regular season of the VCT League. Their lackluster results were compounded by team issues, resulting in the removal of their in-game leader, dephh. However, with Marved subbing in for dephh and taking up the mantle for IGL, the fans finally saw a glimpse of the old Sentinels as they won two matches in a row to end the event with their head held high.

If we see the Sentinels from the latter stages of the regular season at the LCQ, we might witness Tenz and Co at the biggest stage of Valorant for the first time since 2021.

FURIA

Douglas “dgzin” Silva
Vitor “kon4n” Hugo
Leonardo “mwzera” Serrati
Khalil “Khalil” Schmidt
Matheus “Mazin” Araújo

The second-best from Brazil was considered by many to be the biggest dark horse of the season. The team's strong start to the regular season, securing four wins in their initial six matches, validated the predictions surrounding their potential. However, the fortunes of FURIA took a turn for the worse from that point onward. Despite narrowly qualifying for the playoffs, their journey was marred by disappointment as they faced consecutive humiliating defeats, ultimately leading to their early elimination.

Ahead of the upcoming Last Chance Qualifer, FURIA have made changes to the roster. Due to mental health reasons, the primary duelist Quick has been benched. Stepping into his role will be fellow Brazilian Vitor “kon4n” Hugo. In this new lineup, which is predicted to have a deep run in the event at least, Leonardo “mwzera” Serrati is expected to switch to Sentinel roles, while substitute kon4n will likely play Initiator for the squad.

VCT 2023 Americas LCQ Predictions- Early Exits

The teams predicted to make early exits are as follows:

KRÜ Esports

Nicolas “Klaus” Ferrari
Juan “NagZ” Pablo Lopez
Marco “Melser” Eliot Machuca Amaro
Santiago “DaveeyS” Galvis Ruiz
Carlos “axeddy” Alberto
Angelo “keznit” Mori

KRÜ Esports became only the 2nd team to endure a winless regular season across all three VCT Leagues. Although not initially regarded as favorites, their inability to secure a single victory throughout the League stage was an unexpected and staggering outcome.

Following a disappointing performance of such magnitude, it becomes challenging to anticipate a favorable outcome for the Chilean organization. No roster changes have been done as well, despite the poor results. However, it may not be wise to dismiss them from contention entirely. KRÜ has established a reputation for excelling when faced with formidable odds, as exemplified in their remarkable run during the 2021 VCT Champions.

MIBR

Murillo “murizzz” Tuchtenhagen
João “jzz” Pedro
Matheus “RgLMeister” Rodigoli
Leandro “frz” Gomes
André “TxoziN” Saidel
Olavo “heat” Marcelo (Substitute)

While not to the extent of KRÜ Esports, MIBR also had an off-season, finishing 9th in the Americas League. So far, their highlight of the season came in the form of a victory over 100 Thieves, a remarkable achievement considering they played with their coach as a substitute. This unexpected triumph profoundly impacted the qualification dynamics of a number of teams in the league.

Although we predict an early exit for MIBR, it is important to acknowledge their potential to cause upsets, as demonstrated during the regular season. In matches against both 100 Thieves and NRG, MIBR entered as heavy underdogs yet defied expectations by securing a crushing victory.

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