The Group Stages of the Valorant Conquerors Championship Main Event might have concluded with the likes of Team Exploit, Velocity Gaming, Global Esports and Enigma Gaming bagging the four available slots in the knockout phase. However, there were teams beyond the aforementioned quartet that managed to catch eyeballs through their performances and grit.
Damaru Gaming (Nepal)
While Damaru Gaming conquered the Nepal and Bhutan Qualifier at VCC, the squad had never faced their South Asian neighbours. The competitive gap has been evident since the dawn of FPS games but Damaru Gaming showed heart in their performances against the likes of Global Esports and Salt Esports, who were made to sweat on Split by the Nepalese outfit. Not to mention, the experience gained from this official scrimmage against teams like GE and Salt will not only aid their growth and development but of their entire scene.
Shreyas ‘Moonlight’ Shrestha was a particular highlight, with the Damaru duelist putting up huge numbers (ACS of 224.8 and 0.2 First Kills per round) during the Group Stage. With his individual display, Moonlight has gained reputation as a talent to watch in the coming tournaments for the region.
Exceeli Esports (Bangladesh)
Known as the premier team in the Bangladeshi region, Exceeli Esports further stamped its image on the South Asian circuit with a strong showing at the VCC Main Event. The squad pushed Velocity Gaming to the edge in the Group A decider and on another day, could have at least won Bind to make it a 3-map series, if not the entire match.
Their Attack was a particular delight for the fans, with Exceeli going on a run every time they were the ones responsible for the spike. While their defence needs work, things will only get better for the organization, with the recent addition of Sami Ar ‘SSSami’ Rahman.
Tahsin ‘M1SYL’ Ashrafee was the player in the spotlight, with the duelist recording an ACS of 251.7 in the Group Stages.
Team Exploit (Pakistan)
The only non-Indian team to advance to the knockouts phase, Team Exploit did so in style, defeating Velocity Gaming in a three-map thriller in what was labelled as an upset by many.
However, it was more down to Exploit’s preparation for VLT rather than a happenstance. Mustafa ‘shooterR’ Kamal showed his prowess with the Skye on Breeze to render the possibility of a VLT win moot.
Now, the onus will be on Exploit to spur on and bag more ‘upsets’ at the VCC Knockouts; perhaps, even take the slot available for themselves.
