Age Check: Breaking down the young guns and veterans at Champions Paris

To help the viewers get to know the players they'll see at VALORANT Champions Tour 2025 - Valorant Champions, THESPIKE.GG has calculated the average age of each team and highlighted some of the most interesting facts.

Being young is often seen as an advantage in esports, with younger players considered more agile and mechanically sharp. However, many veteran players are still competing at the highest level, proving that age is just a number.

China

The average age of the Chinese teams at Champs ranges from 21.3 to 24.5 years old. The youngest team is Bilibili Gaming, with all players born in 2003 or later, resulting in an average age of 21.3. The region as a whole trends young, with the oldest Chinese team being XLG at 22.8 years. The oldest player from China is Ran "Viva" Lifan on XLG Esports, who is 25 years old, born on February 20, 2000.

One reason for the younger average age in China's VALORANT scene could be the game's delayed release in the region—it officially launched in China in 2023, three years later than in other regions. As a result, much of the emerging talent consists of younger players who are also new to the esports scene.

EMEA

EMEA is another region filled with young rosters. Most teams fall between 21.5 and 22.6 years old on average—except for Fnatic, who are by far the oldest team attending Champs. Fnatic has a whopping average age of 24.5, and they also field the oldest player at the tournament: Jake "Boaster" Howlett, who turned 30 in May.

GIANTX is the youngest EMEA team at Champs, entering with three rookies, including Miłosz "westside" Duda and Eduard-George "ara" Hanceriuc, who are both just 20 years old. In a previous interview with THESPIKE.GG, westside expressed concerns about GIANTX heading into Champs with a less experienced roster compared to other teams. However, he emphasized that the team will be focusing heavily on their mental game to compete on equal footing with their opponents.

Pacific

Compared to China and EMEA, the Pacific region has slightly older rosters. All teams fall within a narrow average age range of 22.6 to 23.7 years. The youngest team, DRX, also fields the youngest player in the tournament: Yoon "Flicker" Tae-hee.

Despite DRX bringing the region’s average age down slightly, most Pacific teams still hover around 23 years old, signaling a scene rich in experience. Notably, both Yu "BuZz" Byung-chul, who now plays for T1, and Kim "MaKo" Myeong-kwan from DRX have attended all Champions events—despite being just 22 and 23, respectively.

Americas

The Americas region has some of the oldest rosters at Champs, with one major exception: MIBR. MIBR is the second-youngest team in the tournament, averaging at 21.4 years. The Brazilian squad features a number of rising stars, including their 19-year-old IGL, Andrew "Verno" Maust.

Erick "aspas" Santos might feel like a veteran, having already won VCT 2022 - Champions Istanbul, but he’s still just 22 years old, showcasing how much he’s achieved at a young age. Other teams like G2 Esports, NRG, and Sentinels field older lineups. Many of these players have deep roots in Counter-Strike, including Sam "s0m" Oh, Nathan "leaf" Orf, and Amine "Johnqt" Ouarid, giving them longer competitive histories than many younger VALORANT pros.

During VALORANT Champions Tour 2025 - Americas Stage 2, Andrej "babybay" Francisty joined G2 as a sub for leaf, who was dealing with health issues. In an interview with THESPIKE.GG, Babybay addressed the esports scene’s bias toward younger players:

"Here's the thing, when you're an older player, people think you're set in your ways and uncoachable. I think joining this team has proven that's not the case for everyone. It's all about the individual."

Youngest Player: Flicker

Flicker is the youngest player stepping onto the Champs stage, being just 18 years old. He joined DRX in July 2025, shortly after his 18th birthday, making him eligible to compete in VCT. Previously, he played for DRX Prospects, where he showcased versatility on agents like Yoru, Sova, and Tejo.

Flicker made his major debut at the EWC VALORANT - Esports World Cup 2025, where he impressed as the top-fragger in two of three matches. He also flexed his skills on Viper. Despite being the youngest, Flicker brings an element of surprise. While his opponents may have more experience on the big stage, he has the hunger and drive that only a rookie can bring.

Oldest Player: Boaster

Excluding substitute Babybay on G2, the oldest player at Champs will be Boaster from Fnatic. Born on May 25, 1995, he celebrated his 30th birthday earlier this year. With a long history in esports, Boaster previously competed in both Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and League of Legends. He tried to break into CS:GO professionally for years and even served as a vlogger and sub mid-laner for Excel in LoL before transitioning to VALORANT in 2020.

In VALORANT, he found his stride. Boaster is now regarded as one of the strongest IGLs in the scene. He is also the third player, alongside MaKo and Buzz, to qualify for every Champions event. Fnatic has made it to every VALORANT Champions, and Boaster has been there each time, marking his fourth year with the team and the longest tenure on the roster.

For all things VALORANT-related, make sure to stay tuned to THESPIKE.GG as we get closer to Champions Paris.

Featured image credit: Eric Ananmalay/Riot Games.