APAC gunning for glory at VCT LOCK//IN (Alpha Bracket)

The official VALORANT 2023 circuit might have gotten underway already, with the Challenger Leagues commencing in almost every region. However, VCT LOCK//IN will give fans the first taste of what to expect week in week out from the international leagues in the respective regions. Not just that, the event will also decide which region has early bragging rights along with an extra slot at the subsequent international events. Make sure to check out our VCT 2023 Hub for all information you need on the upcoming VCT LOCK//IN event in Brazil.

30 partnered teams and 2 representatives from China will battle it out in a single elimination best-of-3 format. APAC as a region, will be looking to re-establish themselves as a region not to be trifled with. Let us look at the teams from SEA and Korean region that form part of the Alpha Bracket at VCT LOCK//IN.

Gen.G embrace their roots with a fully Korean roster

Gen.G Esports are one of two organizations that shifted from the North American region to the Pacific region, taking the available partnered slots in the region. While much can be said about whether it was a forced shift or a welcome one, Gen.G chose to completely embrace their Korean heritage upon their advent into the Pacific region in VALORANT.

Gen.G will be fielding an all-Korean roster, headlined by former NORTHEPTION star Kim "Meteor" Tae-O, with former DRX and On Sla2ers star Lee "k1Ng" Seung-won also returning from a brief hiatus. The two stars are joined by Yu "TS" Tae-seok and Yeom "eKo" Wang-ryong, both of whom have previously played under the On Sla2ers banner.

The roster is rounded out by Kim "Secret" Ha-jin, with Gen.G retaining Chris "Elmapuddy" Tebbit as their Head Coach. However, former NORTHEPTION Head Coach Lee "bail" Sung-jae has been added to the support staff to assist Elmapuddy in his new adventure in VCT Pacific International League.

The roster packs a punch and at the helm of it is k1Ng, who will be returning after taking a break owing to his mental health, something that is often overlooked in this high-octane esports industry. The former DRX star is an adept anchor, has a K/D ratio of 1.25 and the current meta will fit his agent pool effortlessly.

Part of the Alpha Bracket for VCT LOCK//IN, Gen.G will kick off their VALORANT journey as a partnered team against LOUD in an elimination best-of-3 (bo3) series.

DRX look to end their international drought with foxy9 addition

One of the few teams to retain their entire roster, DRX come into VCT LOCK//IN as one of the favorites. The addition of Jung "Foxy9" Jae-sung from REIGNITE has injected more firepower into an already fiery lineup. DRX have already shown glimpses of how they will look to incorporate foxy9 into their lineup, bringing him in for the experienced Kim "Zest" Gi-seok on certain maps.

The in-game calling duties have already been passed from Zest onto Kim "stax" Gu-taek, which allows DRX to swap the former for foxy9 when needed. As for stax, his infectious personality and confidence has already helped DRX navigate some of their issues related to closing out maps and allowed for a more robust mental regardless of the scoreline.

The poster boy for Breach, stax will be crucial for his team at VCT LOCK//IN, having clocked in an APR of 0.36. His involvement in DRX's duels on the server is well-reflected in his KAST, which stands at just under 78% right now. A complete package on the server with the personality to match, stax will be looking to lead DRX to their first international trophy.

DRX will square off against BBL Esports to start their VCT LOCK//IN campaign.

Paper Rex set sights on consistency with a fully retained roster

Another partnered organization that chose to retain their entire lineup, Paper Rex is already an all-star team in the SEA region. Their roster has further been emboldened by Thai star Patiphan "cgrs" Porsi, who joins the organization after representing XERXIA Esports briefly in late 2022 in third-party events.

PRX already have arguably, one of the best duos in the VALORANT scene in the form of Jason "f0rsakeN" Susanto and Wang "Jinggg" Jing Jie. Benedict "Benkai" Tan has proven he knows how to utilize the skillset of his star duo with his in-game calling, with PRX coming close to lifting an international trophy only to falter at the final hurdle.

Unlike DRX though, Paper Rex are yet to showcase how they are looking to inculcate CigaretteS into their active lineup and to what extent. Still, a team whose plays on the server have earned them plaudits with their fearless style, PRX come into VCT LOCK//IN looking to go one step further this time around.

Jinggg will once again be the player to keep an eye on. While his partner-in-crime f0rsakeN is as influential for PRX, Jinggg's playstyle is pleasing to the eyes of an FPS purist and his stats show why he is both revered and feared by his opponents. Boasting a First Kill Success Rate of over 56%, Jinggg not only provides early advantages to PRX but also knows how to take over a round completely, with a MultiKill% of more than 23%.

PRX will open their VCT LOCK//IN campaign against Cloud9.

Talon Esports enter the big leagues with the X(10) factor

Talon Esports have entered the VALORANT scene as one of the partnered teams for the Pacific region. The Hong Kong based organization chose to sign the core of the XERXIA Esports roster along with their coach Yuttanagorn "Zeus" Kaewkongyai. Talon have also attempted to reunite the XERXIA core with their former X10 Esports teammate Patiphan "patt" Chaiwong, who is coming back to VALORANT after a brief yet successful return to Overwatch.

The likes of Jittana "JitBoyS" Nokngam and Apiwat "garnetS" Apiraksukumal join the former XERXIA core and Patiphan at Talon. Itthirit "Foxz" Ngamsaard will likely resume in-game calling duties at Talon, as he has done so previously under the XERXIA banner. The roster looks promising on paper. But, they have been dealt an early blow, with Patiphan not being able to make it to VCT LOCK//IN as he is still recuperating from his wrist surgery.

In Patiphan's absence, the spotlight will shift to garnets, who will come in as a like-for-like replacement into the active lineup. The former 47 Gaming star's aggressive style matches the overall playstyle that made the Thai core of Talon famous in the first place. Talon will rely on garnets to spur them on, with the duelist boasting a FKPR of 0.17 and his penchant of getting Multikills in almost every fourth round (almost 0.23).

Talon will commence their VALORANT journey against MIBR.

Players to Watch from each team

The image below gives you a brief account of players to keep an eye on from each of the partnered Pacific teams attending VCT LOCK//IN and forming part of the Alpha Bracket.