VALORANT Champions Player Breakdown: Icons, Veterans, and Debutants heading to Paris

VALORANT Champions has stood as the pinnacle of the competitive calendar, demanding consistency, skill, and composure on the highest stage. While many pros fight just to qualify once, a select few have returned time and again. Here’s a breakdown of the players with the most appearances, grouped into tiers based on their records.

This list is for players with Champions appearances till 2024, and does not count their inclusion in 2025.

Tier 1: The Icons

At the very top stand three legends of the game, each with four Champions appearances – a true mark of dominance and longevity. These players are the faces of consistency and have become synonymous with the event itself. VCT Champions Paris will see those players return for a fifth time, making them the only players to make each and every VALORANT Champions event thus far.

• Jake "Boaster" Howlett (Fnatic)
• Kim "MaKo" Myeong-kwan (DRX)
• Yu "BuZz" Byung-chul (T1)

These three have distinguished themselves as the leaders of the scene, setting a standard that others are still chasing. However, despite holding the record for the most Champions appearances, it is a shame that none of them have managed to win a Champions title yet. Perhaps Paris will be the place where this changes at least for one of them.

Tier 2: The Veterans

Just below the icons are the stars who have appeared three times. They may not yet match the Tier 1 legends, but their repeated presence firmly establishes them as Champions regulars.

• Erick "aspas" Santos (MIBR)
• Emir "Alfajer" Ali Beder (Fnatic)
• Timofey "Chronicle" Khromov (Fnatic)
• Austin "crashies" Roberts (Fnatic)
• Wan "CHICHOO" Shunzhi (EDward Gaming)
• Wang "nobody" Senxu (EDward Gaming)
• Zheng "ZmjjKK" Yongkang (EDward Gaming)
• Zhang "Smoggy" Zhao (EDward Gaming)
• Khalish "d4v41" Rusyaidee (Paper Rex)
• Jason "f0rsakeN" Susanto (Paper Rex)
• Wang "Jinggg" Jing Jie (Paper Rex)
• Kim "stax" Gu-taek (T1)

These names have been present across multiple meta shifts and global tournaments, cementing themselves as some of the most dependable performers on the international stage. Notably, most of the players on this list have already claimed a Champions trophy, while the rest are Masters winners.

Tier 3: Rising Regulars

This tier features players with one or two Champions appearances. While not yet at veteran status, they are carving their path and steadily building up their resume.

• Nathan "leaf" Orf (G2 Esports) – 2 appearances
• Zachary "zekken" Patrone (Sentinels) – 2 appearances
• Wang "whzy" Haozhe (Bilibili Gaming) – 2 appearances
• Yuxiang "Knight" Liu (Bilibili Gaming) – 2 appearances
• Ilya "something" Petrov (Paper Rex) – 2 appearances
• Ayaz "nAts" Akhmetshin (Team Liquid) – 2 appearances
• Amine "Johnqt" Ouarid (Sentinels) – 1 appearance
• Jordan "Zellsis" Montemurro (Sentinels) – 1 appearance
• Sean "bang" Bezerra (Sentinels) – 1 appearance
• Ethan "Ethan" Arnold (NRG) – 1 appearance
• Sam "s0m" Oh (NRG) – 1 appearance
• Jonah "JonahP" Pulice (G2 Esports) – 1 appearance
• Trent "trent" Cairns (G2 Esports) – 1 appearance
• Jacob "valyn" Batio (G2 Esports) – 1 appearance
• Alexander "jawgemo" Mor (G2 Esports) – 1 appearance
• Marcus "nephh" Tan (Bilibili Gaming) – 1 appearance
• Luo "Flex1n" Rui (Dragon Ranger Gaming) – 1 appearance
• Max "Demon1" Mazanov (Dragon Ranger Gaming) – 1 appearance
• Nikita "trexx" Cherednichenko (Team Liquid) – 1 appearance
• Kirill "Cloud" Nehozhin (GIANTX) – 1 appearance
• Ričardas "Boo" Lukaševičius (Team Heretics) – 1 appearance
• Benjy "benjyfishy" David Fish (Team Heretics) – 1 appearance
• Dominykas "MiniBoo" Lukasevicius (Team Heretics) – 1 appearance
• Enes "RieNs" Ecirli (Team Heretics) – 1 appearance
• Mert "Wo0t" Alkan (Team Heretics) – 1 appearance
• David "Xffero" Monangin (Rex Regum Qeon) – 1 appearance
• Lee "Carpe" Jae-hyeok (T1) – 1 appearance
• Kim "Meteor" Tae-O (T1) – 1 appearance
• Kang "BeYN" Ha-bin (DRX) – 1 appearance
• Cho "Flashback" Min-hyuk (DRX) – 1 appearance

This list is a healthy mix of new players, seasoned VALORANT veterans, and even past Champions winners – a testament that greatness is always within reach and just one strong performance away.

Tier 4: Champions Debutants

For this group, VALORANT Champions 2025 will mark their first-ever appearance at the tournament. These debutants represent the next wave of stars, each with the chance to make a name on the biggest possible stage.

• Andrej "babybay" Francisty (G2)
• Adam "mada" Pampuch (NRG)
• Brock "brawk" Somerhalder (NRG)
• Logan "skuba" Jenkins (NRG)
• Marshall "N4RRATE" Massey (Sentinels)
• Arthur "artzin" Araujo (MIBR)
• Eduardo "xenom" Soeiro (MIBR)
• Gabriel "cortezia" Cortez (MIBR)
• Andrew "Verno" Maust (MIBR)
• Wang "rushia" Xiaojie (Bilibili Gaming)
• Lu "Levius" Yinzhong (Bilibili Gaming)
• Shao "Nicc" Yi-chun (Dragon Ranger Gaming)
• Lin "SpiritZ1" Ding-yu (Dragon Ranger Gaming)
• Cheng "Cangshu" Yu-chun (Dragon Ranger Gaming)
• Ilya "vo0kashu" Ushakov (Dragon Ranger Gaming)
• Lin "WoodAy1" Weihong (EDward Gaming)
• Georgio "Keiko" Sanassy (Team Liquid)
• Kamil "kamo" Frąckowiak (Team Liquid)
• Patryk "paTiTek" Fabrowski (Team Liquid)
• Miłosz "westside" Duda (GIANTX)
• Eduard-George "ara" Hanceriuc (GIANTX)
• Karel "Flickless" Maeckelbergh (GIANTX)
• Grzegorz "GRUBINHO" Ryczko (GIANTX)
• Kajetan "kaajak" Haremski (Fnatic)
• Cahya "Monyet" Nugraha (RRQ)
• Bryan "Kushy" Setiawan (RRQ)
• Ngô "Crazyguy" Công Anh (RRQ)
• Maxim "Jemkin" Batorov (RRQ)
• Ham "iZu" Woo-joo (T1)
• Ko "Sylvan" Young-sub (T1)
• No "free1ng" Ha-jun (DRX)
• Hyun-min " HYUNMIN" Song (DRX)
• Park "Estrella" Gun (DRX)
• Yoon "Flicker" Tae-hee (DRX)
• Arthur "Rarga" Churyumov (XLG)
• Teng "happywei" Minwei (XLG)
• James "NoMan" Man (XLG)
• Colin "coconut" Chung (XLG)
• Ran "Viva" Lifan (XLG)

New stars often shine brightest when tested under pressure, and this tier could include some of Champions 2025’s biggest breakout stories.

VALORANT Champions Tour 2025 - Valorant Champions showcases an extraordinary mix of seasoned icons, proven veterans, rising talents, and debutants all vying for glory on the world’s biggest stage. As legacies are continue to be forged and new stars emerge, this year’s tournament stands as proof of the ever-evolving landscape of competitive VALORANT, where history can be made with every match, and greatness is always within reach.

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