The North America VALORANT scene continues to be chaotic as several big names miss out on the Stage 2 tournament. Team SoloMid, Sentinels, and NRG all failed to qualify for the VALORANT Champions Tour 2021 Main Event.
Sentinels, TSM, Liquid, Fnatic, NRG all failing to qualify for the main event yet is what makes valorant esports so interesting and good right now
— Rod Breslau (@Slasher) April 4, 2021
The result came after brutal competition in the open qualifiers for the NA Valorant Champion’s Tour. What’s more, FaZe Clan, Gen.G Esports, Cloud 9, and 100 Thieves are also hanging by a thread. One lost series will see these teams head home.
With the prestige and brand recognition behind these names, it’s surprising to see so many missing out on major tournaments. Particularly when many have invested so much into the game. Valorant promised to be a hugely popular esport with a dedicated following. However, organisations have struggled to pin down winning rosters.
NA Valorant and Unpredictability
This unpredictability is both a blessing and a curse for the developing scene. While it’s incredibly exciting to seen new names teams reach the upper echelons all the time, it’s a damning indictment on the scouting of top organisations. Sentinels were just weeks ago were crowned North America Stage 1 Masters champions. A team seemingly with an incredible amount of talent. Yet weeks later they drop out of the tour completely. With a relatively new game, it seems teams are struggling to sign effective teams.
Staying on top in esports is so much work. NA Valorant is so stacked with so many hungry and skilled players.
— Elevated (@ElevatedSpeaks) April 3, 2021
Sentinels will be back for sure but the whole pro scene has a real "Any given Sunday" feel to it. Love it #VCT
This is exacerbated by the fact players are often jumping to Valorant from other games. While success in CS:GO, Overwatch, and even Fortnite has some effect on Valorant player’s abilities, nothing is set in stone. Big organisations such as TSM, whose rabid fan base and ownership are often motivated by success at the highest levels, will surely not be happy with the team’s lack of success.
Luckily this isn’t just an NA problem. In Europe, Fnatic and Team Liquid similarly missed out on a spot in the Europe Stage 2 Challengers 1 after dropping Open Qualifiers. Whenever your region is, it’s a wide-open field for this VALORANT Champion’s Tour 2021.
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