The VCT São Paulo Lock In tournament, which took place in February 2023, saw North American Valorant teams continue to struggle in the international competitive scene. Out of all the North American teams that qualified, none are left as the bracket continues to shrink.
The tournament featured some of the best teams from around the world, including several from Europe and Brazil. North American teams, however, appeared to struggle with adapting to the evolving meta of the game and coordinating their strategies effectively.
North American teams that qualified, Cloud9, 100Thieves, Sentinels, Evil Geniuses, and NRG have all been eliminated before the playoffs. This is a major disappointment to North American fans as they expected to win the whole tournament and didn’t even expect to be eliminated before the playoffs. This sparks a new question, is North America’s Valorant scene now bad?
Many members of the Valorant community pointed to issues with North American teams’ communication and teamwork, as well as their ability to adapt to different playstyles and strategies from their opponents. Some also suggested that North American teams may be struggling with fatigue and burnout, as they have been competing in a high number of tournaments and events over the past year. However, this is no excuse as North America has been struggling with the last few international tournaments.
Despite the disappointing results in the VCT São Paulo Lock In tournament, there remains optimism within the North American Valorant community about the future of the region in the game. Many have pointed to the fact that North American teams have a strong track record of success in the competitive scene, and that the game is still relatively new, with much room for growth and evolution.
It is clear, however, that North American teams will need to make adjustments and improvements if they hope to compete at the highest levels in the international competitive scene. The struggles in the VCT São Paulo Lock-In tournament highlight the need for North American teams to continue working on their coordination, communication, and adaptation in order to stay competitive.
In future international tournaments, will North America continue to struggle or is this a temporary slump the region is going through?