What’s happening in NA? Biggest takeaways from week one of VCT Americas 2023

The opening week of VCT Americas did not fail to deliver thrilling action, incredible highlights, and league-leading viewership. The 10 partnered teams from North America, Latin America, and Brazil all met in Los Angeles for the first time, and did not disappoint (for the most part).

Week one featured surprising role swaps, some breakout rookie performances, Gekko picks, comebacks, and plenty more exciting top-tier VALORANT stories. Here are the top stories that stuck out from week one of VCT Americas.

Biggest takeaways from the first week of the VCT Americas 2023 season

The cloud of doubt has shifted from Cloud9 to Evil Geniuses

Before the start of the season, Cloud9 parted ways with one of the top mechanical players in the entire world, and one of the region’s most highly regarded in-game leaders in just about a week. Naturally, fans were a tad bit concerned about how well C9 would play, the team found victory thanks to a high level of play from the always-consistent leaf and breakout rookie runi.

It’s now Evil Geniuses that look to be in real danger. EG looked uncoordinated during the series, losing several anti-eco rounds. Considering how talented some teams in NA Challengers are, EG’s offseason decisions could end up getting dragged by the community if they aren’t able to correct course. It won’t be easy either; they’ve got 100T, KRÜ, FURIA, and LOUD coming up.

Sentinels’ role shifts could be the key to reaching a ceiling

If you told Sentinels fans that the team was going to move Sacy and pANcada off the roles that won them a world championship on LOUD, they wouldn’t believe it. At first, Sentinels coach Syyko wouldn’t even consider it. But the coaching staff did in fact pull the trigger on moving pANcada to Killjoy and Sacy to smokes, and it’s paying off.

Syyko told Dot Esports that pANcada’s “ability to play on an island and be a really impactful lurker was just phenomenal,” and that could be seen in their victory over 100T. The reliable backline play from Sacy and pANcada made it easier for the team’s frag farmers in zekken and TenZ to make plays, leading to a big win over 100T. Sentinels still have some improvements to make: pistol rounds were a struggle, and the whole team outside of Sacy struggled to win open duels. But if those improvements happen, this is a team that has a real shot of making international tournaments.

Brazil and LATAM could easily shut NA out of Masters Tokyo

It’s gonna be a hard task for any North American team to make it to Masters Tokyo though. With only three Americas spots available, opportunities are limited, and both Latin America and Brazil are elevating the competition.

LOUD has already proven that their new-look roster can compete on the international stage, and they’re already so comfortable that they’re breaking out Gekko consistently. Leviatán made a statement at the expense of NRG to close out week one. FURIA showcased the sheer amount of talent on their roster as well. Even both MIBR and KRÜ can’t be counted out yet.