Respect your elders: Oldest players clash with youngest at VCT Masters Bangkok

As we approach VALORANT Champions Tour 2025 - Masters Bangkok 2025, its important for fans and teams to take a look at the playing field and the most experienced rosters in the tournament. There are plethora of young, up-and-coming talent that will be looking to make a name for themselves at the first big international tournament of the year, while there are some well-known veterans who are looking to establish their legacy within the annals of VALORANT history. From the youngest prospects to the most experienced superstars, here are the oldest and youngest players and teams at the tournament in Thailand.

Young firestarters

Looking at the youngest players headed to Bangkok, DRX currently has the youngest roster by average out of the eight teams attending the tournament with an roster average of 21.2 years of age. Their youngest player is 18-year-old Hyun-min " HYUNMIN" Song, who was born on Feb. 27, 2006. As expected, he doesn't have a lot of experience due to the length of time he's been as a professional, but he is still one of the most electric players you'll see on stage. The talented Duelist's swift decision making and crisp aim make him one of DRX biggest win conditions—if HYUNMIN is cooking, then the team should be cooking too. We saw his impact on his team after their victorious run through VALORANT Champions Tour 2025 - Pacific Kickoff, where he had the second highest ACS of any player in the event and the highest ADR of any player in the tournament. He had the third-most first bloods in the event, so when watching DRX, look for him to act as the tip of the spear on Raze or Jett.

Keep an eye out on DRX's No "free1ng" Ha-jun, who is considered to be one currently of the best Tejo players in the world. He was fragging out during the Pacific Kickoff, holding the third-highest kill average behind HYUNMIN. He is a smart player, using great positioning, well-timed utility, and sharp aim to get the most out of his kit and mechanical skills. He can change the landscape of a game with his Tejo play, and can lock down a site by himself. Unlike some contestants, he is great at shutting down rushes by using Tejo drone to suppress enemies as they storm into a site, leaving them with nothing but their gun to defend themselves vs. an onslaught of utility from DRX.

The second youngest player at the event is Team Vitality's Felipe "Less" Basso, who many people are familiar with during his time with LOUD, where he was known for his unreal aim and great lurking abilities. His efforts helped Team Vitality win VALORANT Champions Tour 2025 - EMEA Kickoff, and he is very calm under pressure, as seen in his 36 percent win rate when in a 1VX situation at EMEA Kickoff. Overall, this Team Vitality superteam was absolutely dominant as expected with the addition of Nikita "Derke" Sirmitev, with the 22-year-old phenom averaging the second-highest ACS at Kickoff and averaging 18 kills a game. They came back from a 0-2 deficit against Team Liquid, and showed plenty of composure with their back against the wall. They didn't balk under the pressure of expectations, and there is a reason they are expected to go far at Masters.

A tale as old as time

On the opposite side of the scale, however, there are also some well-known veterans attending Masters Bangkok, looking to add to their trophy cabinets. With age comes experience and these players have plenty of it, with Sentinels's Jordan "Zellsis" Montemurro, who will be turning 27 on March 2.

The former CS:GO pro already has a Masters trophy under his belt from VCT 2024 - Masters Madrid, and came in fourth alongside Sentinels at VCT 2024 - Champions 2024. During Sentinels' series vs. MIBR, Zellsis had an destructive performance where he dropped 31 kills in an overtime bloodbath on Vyse. He might not have the most eyepopping stats, but he has had plenty of time under the bright lights, has supreme confidence in himself and his talented teammates, and clearly isn't scared of the competition. His leadership and contagious fire within can spark his team and keep them in games that might seem relatively lost. It helps that they are playing with some of the best players in the world, and has the support of their fervent fanbase. They will be taking on the youngest team at Masters, DRX, so it will be a collision of youth vs. experience that should be must-watch VALORANT as far as opening matchups go.

When these two powerhouses run into each other, we could see fireworks to start off the tournament and the best early series of the tournament. Again, DRX lacks a lot of experience at the tier-one level, whereas Sentinels' older roster has plenty of international event experience, having played against some of the best teams in the world. That will be a major factor in the upcoming series to keep an eye out on, and if both teams are playing at their highest level, it is very even and could flip either way.

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