The first major event of the Indian Valorant scene, ESPL Valorant PowerUp India, already has four teams ebbing their name in the Main Event, through Qualifier 1, which ended on January 10, with Global Esports beating GodLike Esports in the final to gain bragging rights and potentially, a higher seed. Let us take a good look at the four teams.
Global Esports (HellRanger, Kappa, SKRossi, skillZ, Lightning Fast)
The winner of Qualifier 1, Global Esports have become stalwarts of the PC Esports scene by now. The organization continuously puts together a successful concoction and seems to have done the same in Valorant. Global Esports have been Team Mahi’s strongest foe on the server since the inception of the competitive Valorant scene.
However, the present lineup gives fans high hopes of the team being able to upstage Team Mahi soon. The addition of SkRossi has equipped Global Esports with the firepower needed to possibly break their current ceiling and elevate their gameplay. SkRossi has been a true carry, with the former BL4ZE rifler standing second in terms of Average Combat Score (259.1) in the list of Indians in the competitive Valorant scene.
skillZ and Lightning Fast though, seem like the missing pieces of the puzzle that have finally been found. The North-East rifler’s transition into a Sentinel role has been a major contributor towards Global finding some consistency in their results while skillZ allows HellRanger to be versatile with the agent lineups to an extent, whenever needed.
In Qualifier 1 itself, we saw Global pull out the Phoenix on HellRanger, with skillZ filling in as Omen with good effect against XTZ Esports. Thereafter, in the Upper Bracket Quarter Final of TEC Invitational, we saw the roles being reversed, with HellRanger equipping the Omen and skillZ playing duelists against Reckoning Esports.
A successful Valorant team must have a healthy balance of firepower, teamwork, leadership, experience and versatility. The current Global Esports lineup has it all, by the looks of it, and will be a firm challenger to win the Main Event at ESPL Valorant PowerUp India
GodLike Esports (Scarg0d, DeathMaker, Whitehorse, sh1vy, knightRider)
It is a pity the fans were deprived of a matchup between SkRossi and DeathMaker, with mw1 having to stand-in for his fellow duelist, who could not play due to an aggravated wrist injury. However, GodLike Esports have much to look forward to, especially by the way they dismantled Reckoning Esports in the semi-finals of Qualifier 1.
There is no doubt about the individual ability that each player possesses in the GodLike roster. But, their win over Reckoning showed a tinge of chemistry, teamwork and timing that bodes well for them in the future. The fact that they seemed more like a collective than five individuals shows they are working on their chemistry in the bootcamp and one should fear GodLike and their potential, if this is how they are playing with stand-in(s) and just a few days into their bootcamp.
DeathMaker might be the star duelist of the team. However, it is the former Orange Rock star Whitehorse who is truly the vital cog of this lineup. Whitehorse seems to have championed the art of Sentinel and seems to come to the team’s rescue time and again, pulling out clutch kills and rounds with a disturbing consistency. sh1vy is showing signs of finally settling into his role as the Initiator of the team since sMx’s benching. Scarg0d on the other hand, seems to be championing the support role and has transitioned well into the Omen from a pure duelist.
We are yet to see what a full strength GodLike Esports can do since their arrival at bootcamp and by the time the Main Event rolls up, GodLike has the potential to be completely drilled to the mantle.
Reckoning Esports (AyanQ, Razzor, Rio, clouda, tryst)
Reckoning Esports fell short of reaching the Finals and while that may be chalked down to a variety of reasons, what is undeniable is the raw potential of the roster. An inherently aggressive side that has players who are always itching to take aim fights and establish superiority on the server; Reckoning Esports are really trying to play it in a way that is commendable to the players for the amount of restraint they are showing.
Reckoning Esports are trying to make aggression a fall-back option rather than their choice of poison. Yet, whenever they run wild, it is a sight to behold, especially Razzor on his Raze. The unrelenting pressure he creates on the opposition whenever he is allowed to push often compels opposition to concede errors, advantages and hence, rounds. Rio has become Mr. Dependable and tryst’s versatility always comes of use whenever a different agent lineup needs to be played.
There is no real shining star of the team, even though AyanQ does top the charts for Reckoning Esports so far, if ever so slightly. Perhaps the only thing lacking is a bit of versatility from the designated duelists, with Reckoning Esports almost always having Jett and Raze in their lineup. It is still early days for clouda and Reckoning Esports’ true potential will only be gauged once the 21-year-old manages to make the Valorant servers his new home.
Team 4. XTZ Esports (Psy, Rexy, Harsh, SSSami, whimp)
XTZ Esports have recently gone through a small roster shuffle, with hikka leaving to build his own team and whimp coming in for the SriLankan duelist. However, that did not deter them from locking their spot in the Main Event of ESPL Valorant PowerUp India.
whimp’s arrival has equipped XTZ Esports with another player able to play multiple roles and while they haven’t played many competitive matches with their new lineup, this roster does look more balanced than their previous iterations. whimp’s contribution towards shot-calling will also be a massive help. Not much can be said about them right now as it is still a nascent roster and XTZ Esports will surely try different agent combinations and switch roles among themselves to find what suits them as a whole.
XTZ Esports tickled the feathers and trifled with the prospect of being considered in the same bracket as Team Mahi and Global Esports with their previous iteration. It will now be interesting to see if XTZ Esports manage to improve their results with their revamped lineup and be the third horse in what has been a two-horse race at the top of the Indian Valorant scene so far.
