It is undeniable that VALORANT is growing significantly internationally, also being the most watched FPS on Twitch in 2022. 2023 will be a pivotal year for Riot Games and its competitive FPS, and the professionals of the international esports scene are ready to put on a show: there VALORANT players to watch this year.
Out of all the leagues that take the best teams in the world to the top of the VALORANT Champions Tour, some players stand out for their skills and performances seen during 2022, first and foremost Jaccob “yay” Whiteaker, formerly of OpTic Gaming and now part of Cloud9. The black and green organization remained in the spotlight for the whole of last year, resulting in being the most popular in the world and also the winner of the highest overall prize pool in the scene, amounting to $499,000. Leading the team was above all yay, the only player to finish in the Top 5 for ACS at both Masters and Champions events in 2022. In short, he is considerable among the best players in the world.
Attention then to Cryocells, otherwise known as Matthew Panganiban: the 20-year-old from the 100 Thieves is already considered among the most promising players in the world after an exciting start to 2022 with XSET and, now, with Nadeshot’s organization he is preparing for an equally convincing 2023. At the end of 2022 the victory of the Red Bull Home Ground #3 against Zellsis’s Cloud9, leaf and yay, without losing a single map in the entire tournament. The future of the 100 Thieves seems safe in his hands.
We cannot forget about Adil “ScreaM” Benrlitom, a name that has been a guarantee since the golden years of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. The “Headshot Machine” in 2021 and 2022 tried to lead Team Liquid to the victory of qualifiers and international tournaments, but failed despite his incredible stats. However, the new year will see him together with the French organization Karmine Corp, together with his brother Nabil “Nivera” Benrlitom and another name already known to those who have followed CS:GO in the past, Alexandre “xms” Forté.
In the end, Byung-chul “BuZz” Yu is another player who could define 2023: The 19-year-old South Korean is back from a year of ups and downs, with first-place finishes at VCT 2022: Korea, a third-place finish at VALORANT Champions 2022, and a first-place finish at Gwangju Esports Series: Asia last November. With his plays in the early stages of single rounds he can really drive DRX to victory, as he has shown on multiple occasions.
