Top 5 Players from VCT Americas attending Masters Tokyo

VCT 2023 - Americas League came to a fascinating end with LOUD taking down NRG, their long-standing rivals, while being host to a plethora of entertaining matchups throughout the regular season. Given their Grand Finals qualification, they earned a direct ticket to VCT 2023 - Masters Tokyo but Evil Geniuses, also managed to sneak in, courtesy of an underdog run through the Lower Brackets. While team play ultimately decides the outcomes of matchups, individual contributions are equally as significant and proved to be so during the Americas League as well. This article breaks down the top 5 players from the VCT Americas League, and their ability to make a difference in Tokyo.

Aspas – LOUD

To no surprise, Erick "aspas" Santos, a core member of the infamous Brazilian team that has managed to accumulate a record number of accolades within a short period, is up first. His 1.23 THESPIKE Rating stands alone at the top of the players leaderboard, especially considering the number of rounds he participated in with LOUD’s grand finals appearance. His contributions were instrumental to LOUD’s success throughout the regular season facilitating their almost flawless 8-1 record, and subsequent Upper Bracket run through Playoffs.

For most of the event, he was seen only playing Jett; however, the team’s composition changed for the last two matches of the playoffs, and he finally dropped Jett in favor of Neon and Raze, performing above expectations on both agents. Finishing with the highest ACS isn’t as easy task either with such a stacked competition and weekly matches where consistency tends to falter. His ability to perform with Jett, combined with recent outings on Neon and Raze demonstrate the potential he possesses to elevate the team’s performance alone; therefore, aspas is 100% player worth watching out for in Tokyo.

Less – LOUD

Another key contributor to LOUD’s success was Felipe "Less" Basso, who put his talents to the test on a weekly basis either as Killjoy or Viper and still managed to have the 2nd best overall rating as per the leaderboard. He broke Killjoy on Ascent and Haven and retired to using Viper on all the other maps. Considering his performance at VCT LOCK//IN, it wasn’t entirely surprising to see him lead the team in a variety of situations and place them in a favorable position to win.

On multiple occasions, he was able to surpass 1.50 THESPIKE Rating for individual maps, even going as far as 1.97 with 382 ACS in the notorious 13-0 win against Evil Geniuses in the regular season. After proving himself for two consecutive events, and even before so throughout VCT 2022, there’s no doubt that he will show up in Masters Tokyo and can potentially be the difference in facilitating another deep run for LOUD.

s0m – NRG

On the opposing end of the Grand Finals matchup were NRG featuring the next two players in our curated list of notable players coming to Tokyo. One of the factors that sets Sam "s0m" Oh apart from the rest of his counterparts on the top of the leaderboard is his ability to play multiple roles while still maintaining a high Rating. During the League, he played with five different agents but due to comp changes in the latter part of the season, he stopped using Viper and continued through primarily with Harbor and Omen, occasionally breaking out Astra and Brimstone.

s0m's efforts were particularly fruitful in the Lower Bracket finals where his contribution with Omen and then Astra helped NRG avoid elimination and stamped their ticket to Grand Finals. However, his team couldn’t adequately capitalize on the opportunity and fell short of the Americas title.

Crashies – NRG

NRG's impressive 6-3 record and their subsequent successful run through the Playoffs cannot be solely attributed to s0m's efforts. While s0m undoubtedly played a crucial role, other team members also made significant contributions, enabling NRG to qualify for Tokyo. One notable player who greatly impacted the team was Austin "crashies" Roberts, a member of OpTic's core who seamlessly integrated into NRG. He showcased his versatility by adeptly switching between Skye and Sova. Like the rest of the team, he, too, faced some challenges at the beginning of the season but after their matchup against Cloud9, he underwent a remarkable transformation was observed as he gradually solidified himself as a force to be reckoned with on every map.

During the Playoffs, he demonstrated an astonishing level of control over his Skye, which became his standout agent. His exceptional performance was particularly evident in the critical matchups against FURIA and Cloud9 in the Lower Brackets. His mastery of Skye allowed him to carry the team and secure victories, propelling NRG to the Lower Final and ultimately securing their ticket to Tokyo. Without his remarkable efforts and timely rise to the challenge, NRG would have faced the daunting task of fighting their way through the Last Chance Qualifiers.

Ethan – EG

The next player on this list hails from the third team representing VCT Americas at Tokyo, Evil Geniuses. Despite a rough start to the season and facing some community backlash, EG quickly turned the tide, thanks in large part to the exceptional contributions of Ethan "Ethan" Arnold. Over the course of 34 maps, Ethan showcased his versatility, playing Skye, Breach, and occasionally KAY/O, and finished with an impressive 1.09 Rating.

While not always grabbing the spotlight with standout performances, Ethan "Ethan" Arnold consistently made his presence known on the maps, delivering reliable performances that set him apart from his counterparts. His unwavering dedication and ability to perform consistently became instrumental in EG's remarkable comeback, securing their qualification for Tokyo. This accomplishment places EG as one of the underdogs at the event. Rest assured, the entire EG team, including Ethan, is determined to seize this opportunity and prove themselves on the international stage. Their focus is to silence any remaining doubters and showcase their true potential.

Overview of Statistics

Here's a concise view of the contrasting performances each of the five aforementioned players put up during the VCT Americas League, with aspas from LOUD leading the way. Make sure to keep an eye for these players in Tokyo because if they managed to stay afloat in the leaderboard with these metrics, they are likely to make headlines at Masters Tokyo.