Best unexpected performances in VALORANT from 2022

An unexpectedly great performance in VALORANT is always a welcome surprise, one that reminds fans that nothing is set in stone in an esport that’s still relatively new. That’s not to say that an expected great performance is any less great: when Derke or yay picks up Chamber and dominates a game, it’s still impressive to see talent like that continuously operate (and Operate) at such a high level.

But some of the most memorable performances from this year are the ones that almost no one expected, from teams that hadn’t reached a big stage yet or from squads that had yet to prove themselves on such a stage. Here are the best unexpected performances in VALORANT from 2022.

DRX and XSET at Champions 2022

There was always a ceiling keeping both XSET and DRX from reaching greatness. For XSET it was the curse of 4th place; they were good enough to finish in the top half of NA VCT events, but failed to make it to international tournaments. DRX dominated Korea, and would start out strong at international VCT events only to fizzle out in playoffs.

But Champions 2022 was the breakthrough both teams were seeking after two years. XSET proved that there was more than one NA team that could compete at an international level other than OpTic, relying on coordinated teamplay and a well-coached roster full of playmakers who could step up at any moment. Cryocells brought his best, keeping pace statistically with some of the iconic Chamber/Jett mains in the game like Derke and yay.

DRX saw BuZz and MaKo propel themselves into the conversation for best entry player and best controller, respectively, leading to a third place finish for the team after numerous international mishaps. Both were top 15 in ACS among playoff performers.

100 Thieves at the NA Last Chance Qualifier

At the NA LCQ this year, a stacked field was supplemented by the must-watch Sentinels after they picked up all-star flex player Zellsis and mega streaming star shroud. But even with so much attention on the unpredictable Sentinels, and even with stacked and proven rosters like C9, FaZe, and The Guard competing, it was 100 Thieves who stunned the field and claimed the final NA spot at Champions.

100T found themselves down 1-0 in the lower bracket against Sentinels, but went on an incredible run of 10 straight maps to blow past Sentinels, C9, FaZe, and finally The Guard to reach Champions. Derrek had a breakout performance at the NA LCQ, leading all players in overall K/D and clutch percentage, and he and Asuna tied for third overall in kill-assist-survive-trade (KAST) percentage. Asuna also led in both ACS and average damage per round.

ZETA at Masters Reykjavik

Japan has completely fallen in love with VALORANT. The country is home to one of the game’s most passionate and engaged fanbases, with the Japanese streams of international events producing impressive numbers compared to other regions. But throughout 2021 the success at international VCT events didn’t match the fan engagement: 1-8 across nine matches for Japanese teams at Masters and Champions in 2021.

But that finally changes at Masters Reykjavik 2022, when ZETA DIVISION (who was 0-4 internationally in 2021) reached third place with their backs against the wall for most of the tournament. Despite a blowout loss to DRX to start groups, they rallied with wins over Fnatic and NiP, then won three straight in the lower bracket of playoffs before falling to eventual champions OpTic.

The Guard at NA VCT Challengers Stage 1

Looking at the start of the 2022 season in NA, many (including us) saw the group of Cloud9, Sentinels, and OpTic as the primary contenders. C9 and OpTic certainly contended, with OpTic eventually entering the conversation for best team in the world, but the breakout performance of The Guard was surprise to be sure.

In-game leader/controller valyn and initiator trent went from no-names to must-see, putting up incredible numbers, securing game-winning kills, and making highlights throughout the group stage and playoffs. Sayaplayer played his best VALORANT since switching over from Overwatch, becoming one of the most feared duelists in all of NA. They only lost twice all stage, and avenged both of those losses to C9 and OpTic when it mattered most in the playoffs.